Prince Hourglass
by saraven
Summary: When an illness falls in the Hyrulean royal family, it is decided that the eighteen-year-old Crown Princess will have to marry. There's no procession of meeting suitors, however. Instead—due to an age-old agreement involving two halves of an hourglass—Princess Zelda will be marrying the scatterbrained, profoundly pure-of-heart commoner named Link. Modern Zelink AU.
1. stop

**Extended Summary:** In this modern Hyrule, the government still functions as a monarchy and much of the medieval customs are still practiced in this day and age, such as arranged marriage. When a member of the Hyrulean Royal Family falls ill, Crown Princess Zelda is unwillingly pushed into such situation. To the to-be couple's surprise, Princess Zelda will be wed to a seemingly random commoner named Link. Both husband and wife aren't exactly ecstatic, however, Link makes a honest effort to know the princess, in spite of her cold, apathetic attitude. Meanwhile, a young lady_—_whose appearance has a strange likeness to the princess_—_and her guardian arrives in Hyrule, both with their own plans to take back what they believe are rightfully theirs.

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**1**

**. . .**

**. .**

**.**

_"Link."_

_"Promise me."_

_"Keep this with you..."_

_"... Don't you ever lose it." _

**.**

Blinking back the liquid heat in his eyes, Link had to take three seconds to exhale through gritted teeth. It was a calming exercise primarily used before he was to fight and it was still applicative to his current condition. After his inner battle had passed, Link's hand moved and lowered the hourglass into his sock drawer, then closing it. Technically, it was only a half of an hourglass, however his half contained the countless grains of sand. The metallic base that was attached to the sand-filled orb tingled with a cold numbness against Link's fingers, which automatically pushed the memory of his grandfather's cold fingers into his mind.

His blue eyes closed as he forced the urge of his grief to quell. With a small sigh, Link blinked several times to be completely rid of it. Just as he finally thought to be at peace, his bedroom door opened with an unnecessary slam.

"_LINK!_"

At once, Link turned around with a bright smile, only to be collided to the ground by a rowdy group of children. Underneath a pile of arms and legs, Link struggled to laugh loudly, "Wha-What did we say about running into people?"

"It's okay if you don't get caught."

At this point, Link was able to sit up with his elbows against the floor. Attempting to be civil, Link laughed, "That's not true, Mido." In response, the child only sneered as his accomplices pulled at Link's arms and legs. The struggle was becoming real, causing Link to grab the three of them together and settled them beside him. Grinning, he bellowed, "Repeat after me!"

"_Running into people is okay!" _

"_But only if the people say!"_

"_If the people say, yes, you may!"_

"_Then running into people is okay!" _

The know-it-all brothers burst into laughter at the silliness of the rhyme just as someone knocked on Link's open door. Lifting his small smile over to the newcomer, Link recognized the individual standing beside Mido to be his younger sister.

"Okay, everyone," she called, clapping her hands, "let's join the others for pancakes!"

With that, Mido was the first to vanish with the brothers at his heels.

Her hand over her eyes, she grinned and turned to him. "Works like a charm."

He laughed. "Thanks, Aryll."

"Breakfast is ready though." Her hands on her hips, Aryll walked over to Link with the identical sea-colored gaze fixated onto him. She removed one hand from her hip, reaching out to her brother as an offering. Link accepted and pulled himself up. "Big brother, you keep forgetting to lock your door."

Shrugging, Link strode over to his open disarrayed closet. "They'll manage to get in anyway."

Aryll rubbed her temple and sighed. "Why do I feel like you're right?"

Link could only laugh in response. Aryll's giggles mirror his when they both knew they were often the victims of the children's crafty shenanigans. Thinking of their past pranks, Link was reaching for a sweatshirt, and shuddered involuntary, almost dropping it. After he fitted the sweatshirt on, Link just noticed that Aryll's hand was heading toward his direction, which had him retaliating by catching her wrist. In response, she snorted incredulously and simply moved her hand upward to flick his forehead.

"Ow! That hurts!"

"You baby, big brother." His fingers rubbed above his left eyebrow. Aryll took advantage of that moment to edge closer into his personal space. As Link was about to comment on just that, his sister commented on the redness of his eyes, "Have you been crying again?"

At once, he turned away. Aryll waited for him, however, crossing her arms expectantly. Without meeting the inquisitive gaze of his sister, Link smoothly slid past her and shouldered his school bag on his way to the door. It would appear that Link would leave without a word, however Aryll heard him say, clear as day, "I think the pancakes are calling to me."

**.**

If he was being honest to himself, Link felt just the slightest ounce of guilt that he had disregarded Aryll's question. He knew that his little sister had _mostly_ asked out of concern. The death of their grandfather had burdened him with grief and more so with responsibility as though his whole world had shattered upon his back. Yet Link had no moment to mourn. There was still the fact that he had up to continue bearing the larger shards of what life had been left behind.

Link knew Aryll needed to prepare for middle school, yet, glancing back, he could see that she was busy coaxing the Fado twins to the dinner table.

_With his little sister._

"Good morning, dearest."

"Mornin', Grandma," Link greeted back just as cheerfully. It appeared that his elderly guardian was alone in the kitchen while she was cooking her umpteenth pancake. Seeing that, Link frowned and immediately scooted next to her, swiping the spatula from her weathered fingers. "You should take it easy, Grandma! You know what the doctor said."

_With his grandmother. _

She smiled sweetly with squinty, sea-colored eyes and patted her grandson's arm, attempting to move him aside. "Don't you have school, sweetie?"

"Oh, shoot!" Quickly, Link shoved the sleeve up his arm and checked his wristwatch. "I'm running late! Uhh, Grandma, I'll help with this right after school, I promise!" Just as quick, he bent down to kiss her wrinkled cheek, stole a few slices of freshly baked pancakes, and hurried over to the head of the dining room table. "Listen up, all you squirts!

Eight children looked up from their pancakes with wide, innocent eyes.

"Don't be giving Grandma a hard time, okay? You guys remember what the doctor said! Grandma wants to live a long life, long enough to see all of you get accepted into great, loving homes! So all you squirts gotta promise me that you're going to do whatever Grandma says, right?"

A few nodded in silent agreement, most burst into tears, and Mido threw his syrup-spotted fork at Link. That did not deter him. Rather Link wore a great grin and threw down his pancakes-less hand onto the center of the table. The children lowered their curious stares to the table where Link's fingers were folded into a fist with the exception of his pinky finger.

"C'mon, kiddos, promise me!"

From behind, Link could hear his grandmother smiling in sight of when each and every children—including Mido after an encouraging look from the elderly lady—had crawled onto the dining table to hook their pinky with Link's.

_And especially with the orphanage. _

**.**

It was especially dangerous to scarf down pancakes while riding a bicycle, but not for Link. After years of running late, he had mastered the arts of cycling without hands. In the matter of minutes, Link had arrived on campus with his breakfast completely out of sight, but even with that, he could never—not even for the sake of his own life—never could he make it to school before the late bell.

"HEY LINK!"

"_Argrah!_" Link emitted a sort of strangled screech when his fingers fumbled with his bike lock. He was debating whether to risk having his only mode of transportation stolen when a female student nudged him aside, before securing the bike lock immediately after. "Sweet Nayru, you saved me four hundred rupees, Ciela."

Tucking back a flaxen curl, Ciela smiled and rose to her feet. "Anytime, Link."

"LLOOOOOOOOOOKKKKK!"

"Oh my Gods!" he yelled. "Shut up, Navi!"

"_LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSTTTTEEENN!_"

"You're seriously joining her, Proxi?!"

"Mr. Forria! Is that you, Mr. Forria? You late again with your groupie?!"

A curse sounded from underneath Link's breath. Beside him, Ciela waved the sisters over to the bicycle racks. The three female students giggled as they joined Link who hunkered behind his bicycle. Although there was no need, Link lowered his voice to ask, "Have the gates closed already?" All three nodded knowingly with some sort of pitied smile directed at Link. Ignoring that, he only offered his elbows and declared, "Are you girls ready?"

Beaming, Ciela latched onto one arm as Navi and Proxi were willing to share the other. With that, they sacrificed several steps backwards in the direction of the officers, and then took off with a running start. All at once, the four of them lunged onto and over the brick wall effortlessly as though born with wings, before landing safely onto the grounds of the school. The scolding of the officers increased in volume, however by the time they checked the other side of the gates, they could only groan,

"Why doesn't the school build higher walls?!"

**. **

"Were you guys late again?"

Three out of four shook their heads as the only male only laughed uproariously to drown out the mutual disappointment.

"We were waiting for Link," Navi replied and Proxi nodded, supporting her sister's statement. "Like, it's no difference to us since the tardy-guards saw Link's sweatshirt. You know, the only one with his last name in big bolded letters."

Link slightly dropped his jaw in realization that his last name was indeed emblazoned onto his back. Hurriedly, he removed his sweatshirt and smoothed down his tie and school blazer, which displayed his first name on the left side. Seeing that, the fourth female cackled with her smug stare directed toward him. "How many times has it been since you arrived before the late bell?"

"I could count it on at least one hand. Maybe two. Most likely one." The girls tittered in amused giggles which had Link slightly huffing. The irritation shifted his mouth into a scowl as he retorted, "It's not like truancy is any better, Tatl."

"Oh, but then you'd never get to guess what I heard from my latest escapade from this hellhole." Tatl lured the girls into the entertainment of gossip, which never failed as a conversation topic. Her gold eyes brightened, flickering between each of her friends. "I'm so serious, take a stab, ladies." With a roll of her blond head, she tacked on, "And Link."

"Girls in the back!" Link thought he was exempt as the others turned in their instructor's direction. "This is the time for appreciating the oil paints, not the moving of your mouths! Pick up those brushes!"

Just as the instructor focused elsewhere, Tatl used one hand to flip her off, but for the other, she raised her thinnest paintbrush, dipped the colorless tip into the black paint, and wrote onto her exposed arm; **theres no takers?**

With her arm out, Navi was the first to guess; **_That one Sophomore actress is pregnant?_**

Everyone drew a sort of yelling emoticon onto their wrists as Tatl also wrote;** navi u idiot honey had the baby. its a girl btw.**

**I'll have to congratulate her next class, **Proxi replied on the palm of her hand; **Is it that Link led our sword fighting team into Regionals? **

**rlly? thts not evn close but uh GOLD STAR captain tardiness. **

Link was about to yell at Tatl through some choice written words, however she instigated an applause with Navi, Ciela, and Proxi. Now, he felt somewhat embarrassed when the other classmates were stealing glances in his direction. Relief flooded him when the clapping cut off for Ciela's answer; **There's another student who looks exactly like me?**

**wasnt tht a dream you had? goddesses u ladies r hella lame.**

All at once, Navi, Ciela, and Proxi began to jab Tatl with their paintbrushes. Link purposely watched Tatl flail around on a countdown of sixty seconds, before he steadied her spotted arm and wrote; **You didn't even give us a hint.**

"Too weak!" Tatl whisper-shouted and swatted away Proxi's paintbrush. "I'll just tell you!"

Momentarily, she looked over her easel for the instructor who was notorious for taking naps during class time. Now was one of those times. Seeing that, Tatl smirked and directed her gaze over to her friends and then over to Link. They watched as she grasped his arm, pulled up his blazer sleeve, and wrote in tiny letters;

**_Hyrule is gonna have a new prince. _**

**WHAT. WHAT? ****_WHAAAT? waaaaaaatt?_**

"_Stop writing the same thing!_"

The girls found it hilarious that Link had to wretch his arm away which was more or less covered with the scribbled variation of the single pronoun. However, he knew that his was not as worse as Tatl's speckled arms, almost appearing like cuccopox spots. There was also the fact that the girls were nice enough to make him a damp rag; that way, he was convinced to stay in the classroom as Tatl was prepared to expand on the explosion she had just unleashed onto her friends.

"So the Queen is pregnant?" Navi started, reaching into her satchel. Her sky-blue stare flickered into her bag and then focused onto Tatl as she pulled out a packaging of biscuit sticks. "I'm the closest one then?"

Tatl pointed at the snack. "Is this strawberry?"

"It's milk!" Link dropped his jaw at the sight of it, which encouraged Proxi and Ciela to shove several into his open mouth. "Iluffmeelk!"

"We all know, loser," Tatl sighed and slipped one biscuit into her fingers. "But no, Navi, you're not close because the Queen of Hyrule isn't pregnant." The expression of disappointment Navi wore in response had Tatl snickering, however the others verbally and physically pushed Tatl to continue. "But the princess will eventually get there."

They figured it out.

"Oh!" Proxi tapped at her chin with a biscuit. "But who in Hyrule would marry her?"

A hand rose in Link's direction, but to signal that he was still chewing on five sticks at once. Moments passed before the girls listened to him swallow and then say, "Couldn't you girls ask her? I mean you all are in the same fifth period, right?" The girls responded with expertly narrowed eyebrows. "Am I missing something? I'm definitely missing something."

Ciela attempted to fill him in. "She's very honest which hurts more than it helps."

"Not only that," Proxi said, "she gives off these really bad vibes. So toxic."

"And that's not good for my complexion," Navi sighed and rubbed her cheek.

A round of girlish laughter sounded from the group. But for Link, he did not understand why he was frowning. He smiled then when Tatl continued, "I heard this from the princess herself." Immediately, the girls opened their mouths, but Tatl knew exactly what they all wanted to ask and spoke onward, "Well, no, she didn't tell me. Like, I was make a hole in the back fence with the cutters I stole from the sculpting room, right? And then the Goddesses decided that the princess should be on her phone, like ten feet away from me. Oh, _okay_, you who never makes it to school on time?"

Link didn't know why he raised his hand, but he instantly regretted it. "Did you return the wire cutters?"

Rolling her eyes, Tatl reached into her handbag. "Here." She tossed the tool towards Link who caught it easily. "I owe you one, bro."

As Link shrugged and placed that aside, Proxi whined, "And then?"

"And then!" Tatl's voice rose with the brightness of her mischievous smirk. "I just kept cutting away since she didn't see me anyway. Plus her voice was louder than the beautiful sounds of chain links snapping, and loud enough for me to hear. At first, I thought she was talking to her mom, 'cause she just kept on like yelling and repeating 'Impa'—whoever that was—just like over and over again, until the princess said something like—"

"—_'I don't care how, but you must help me prevent this arranged marriage from happening!'_"

Chewing on the end of a biscuit stick, Ciela thought aloud, "It's not up to her though."

"I know, right? Bummer." Tatl appeared a slight bit disheartened, before her expression lit up with a bared-teeth grin. "For her! Arranged marriages have been going on for centuries! What makes her think that she can cancel this blesses occasion?" Watching Tatl, Link wondered if she was the type to become hyped over weddings and such. He didn't bet on it. "I heard school gets canceled when there's a royal wedding. So this better go on without a hitch, or I'm coming to school that day and I'm gonna put a ring on the royal pain myself."

Strangely enough, Link wanted to retort in the princess's defense. It was a sort of impulse for him when the words had somehow gathered there in his throat. However, he never knew what those words were since the instructor burst into class, beating him to it.

**. **

For Link, the day passed just like any other until the very end. The last period of every student's schedule was saved for whatever passion the student was interested in. Link's particular high school was a sort of prestigious academy divided into two distinct categories; one was either a student specialized in the arts or a student specialized in the athletics.

The girls were majoring in the art of dance as Link was an athletics student, particularly the captain of the sword fighting team.

"It's too bad you can't dance with us, loser." Tatl yawned. Then her lips set into a scoff when Link mockingly rolled his eyes and she whacked his arm. "That much sass is not needed in our learning environment."

Link simply shrugged. "I'll see you girls after practice."

With that, the girls all shouted their own variation of goodbye before running down the hall towards the dance studios. For a moment, Link watched them and chuckled to himself. Then he was off by himself in the opposite direction which led towards the gymnasium. Once he made it there, he realized he had forgotten something.

"Damn," he muttered, staring at the storage room doors. "Ciela has my keys."

But first, Link decided to leave his school bag and his sweatshirt so the sword fighting members would know that their captain had not been tardy. After that, he had to turn around and head toward the dance department, however, his memory was incredibly horrible of remembering which specific studio the girls frequented. Since he couldn't think of any other ideas, Link opted to disturb every single studio. That turned out to be a terrible idea. After apologizing to the fourth one, he was about to try the next room, before he realized something important.

"Why am I a moron?" Link mumbled to himself as he pulled out his phone.

**Hey, Ciela, do you have my keys? **

After his message sent, he looked up and noticed the next room wasn't a studio. Instead, it was a regular classroom with a blackboard and desks and two people staring into each other. Link could have ignored them if he had the self-control. He blamed the years of listening to the girls' trivial gossip when he found himself casually leaning against the slightly ajar door.

"Is your father going to get better?"

His azure eyes squinting, Link could not place a name to the male student. As for the female, a blurry word popped into his head and became a slight clearer when she spoke, "It's not for certain. That's why I need you to do something for me."

"What something is that, Zelda?"

'_Oh, right,_' Link thought and tilted his head. '_I've definitely heard that name before._'

His stare focused back onto the couple as Zelda took a step forward. The two were already so close; the male was somewhat tall, even when perched on a desk and she was tall enough to stand before him, eye-to-eye. Link's jaw gaped when Zelda leaned forward, resting her dainty fingers onto the male's crossed arms, and halted her mouth a breaths away from his. Lifting his gaze skyward, Link knew this was the moment where he should take his leave. He was in the middle of doing so when he heard from behind,

"Be my king."

And then bells were sounding from the phone in Link's hand.

**.**

**. .  
**

**. . .  
**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**ha ha ha what's that about zelink. **

**for touya b/c here are dorky Link, smooth(-ish?) Link, and awkward Link all at once. plus this is a sorta high school au ha ha ha. a note to other readers, this is based from the manhwa/drama called Goong aka Princess Hours. I haven't actually finished either, but this adaption will stray from their plot with the drama scandals and more "why do I do this?" it does get pretty funny and romantic, it'll also get pretty dark, but for the most part, **_**Prince Hourglass**_** is mostly about a confused little Link who wants to choose his own path, instead of the ones others have decided for him, such as "Prince Hourglass." neat-o, isn't it.**

**tell me how it is. **

**~ loveandzelink**


	2. talking

**2  
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**. . .**

**. .**

**.**

"Shoot me," Link groaned, even so, he peeked down at his phone.

**Ciela: No, I don't have your keys. Don't you have it?**

"No! I don't have—O_hh_."

"You there."

Slipping his keys back into his blazer, Link was at odds on how he should react. It didn't help that he could practically feel her glare burning into his back. Instead of ignoring her, Link thought it a better idea to confront the princess with dignity, but also with his hands over his face. Completely calm, he said, "Can I help you?"

The sounds of high heels clicking the floor drew closer to Link until they ceased before him. Still masking himself, he turned his face away from hers and stepped backward, once then twice. The _clicked_ sound followed him. Perspiration started to build on his neck as, this time, he took several steps backward. Still, the sound of her heels stopped before him.

Link thought that since she didn't answer him, he was justified when he turned his heel and made a run for it.

"Hey! Wait, you, hey, _Link_!"

At once, he stopped in his tracks. "Say what? You know who I am?!"

She caught up to him, standing before him once again. Now that she was so near, Link peeked through his fingers and suddenly considered the thought that Princess Zelda was rather pretty. There was the way she glared, however, she knew how to work her make-up so that her blue eyes were almost shining with displeasure. Even though she appeared totally absolutely pissed, Link lowered his defenses—his hands fell to his sides, although he wouldn't have noticed—and he peered closer into her facial features. This did not pass the princess who raised her index finger between them, then stabbed Link directly between his eyes.

"Ow! That hurts!"

In response, Zelda scowled and tapped the left side of Link's chest. He dropped his gaze to his blazer, noticing his name plate. "Yes, _Link_, I know who you are." When she tipped closer to him, he stepped away from her. "You're a fool."

At first, Link stared. Zelda thought that he would laugh it off from the clear embarrassment overtaking his expression. Instead, she was shocked to see that he coughed, before turning and choosing another attempt at escape. In the back of her head, Zelda knew running after a male student in her heels was a terrible idea, however, it was the one that she had chosen to follow.

**.**

_'Why is she chasing me?!'_ Link screamed to himself, almost bumping into a group of students.

"Sorry!" he apologized without looking back and tried to gain his sense and surroundings. "Where in Hyrule am I going?!"

This time, he chanced a look back. Seeing that the princess was no longer on his trail, Link whooped in triumph, before crashing into an innocent bystander. They both sprawled onto the ground, but Link was up in an instant.

"Sorry!" Link said, holding out his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't hurt—_Oh my gODS!_"

He fell backward in sight of the princess. However, she wasn't glaring daggers at him and actually accepted his hand with a hesitant smile. At that moment, Link believed this poor girl wasn't the princess. It boggled him, though, how she appeared almost identical to the furious face five minutes before. This girl; her blue eyes were warm and her skin wasn't a pale porcelain, rather tanned from years of sunlight as though she was almost glowing.

"Hello?"

"Oh, sorry, are you alright?"

"Yes, I am unharmed," she replied, retracting her hand. "Are you hurt?"

"Oh, no, I'm alright." Rubbing the nape of his neck, Link tilted his head. "Sorry about that."

Brightening her whole expression, she smiled. "It is not a problem. Actually, I am wondering if you could solve my own." With her fingers pressed against her lower lip, she laughed sheepishly. "I was looking for the front desk, but I got lost?"

Link gave a low laugh. "Hey, I don't blame you, _dude_, this school is crazy big and half of it is the athlete's fields." He smiled back, feeling at ease. "I'll help you find the front desk if you—"

"_YOU THERE!_"

They both turned, Link more quickly than the other. Opposite of the female student, Link's expression heightened with fear. He would have dashed for it, however, the transfer student was looking up at him curiously. At a loss, Link clapped his hands together and speed-talked, "I'm so sorry I'll have to take that back but I swear to you I'll show you a whole tour of the school but right now is not that time okay I promise bye!"

Turning away from her, Link was about to run, before turning back to her. "Hey, can I get your name?"

Her expression was of a dazed bewilderment, but then it dimmed to one of patient contentment. "Poppy."

"Poppy, great, I'm—"

"_Liiiiiiiiiinnk!_"

"What she said!" Grinning widely, Link was running and glanced back once. "See ya, Poppy!"

A small smile on her lips, Poppy waved at him until he disappeared around the corner. Then she noticed that Link had dropped something. Bending down, she picked up the item just as she felt a cool breeze. She looked up to see that a female student was heading in the same direction Link had gone. Poppy's smile widened after witnessing that, and she looked down into her hands.

A small name-tag rested in her palm.

**.**

"Captain!" The chorused roar of boisterous boys surrounded Link who breathed heavily as though he had just ran for his life. Which he considered that he might had. "Captain, you ran over here and you're still late?"

Wiping his perspiration with his sleeve, Link shook his head. "Never mind that. Get ready for practice, everyone. Darek, can you get Coach Eagus?"

With that, the sword fighting members broke the circle and followed after Link to the storage room to retrieve their swords and safety equipment. There was the ninety-minute block saved for the students to pursue what arts or athletics they wanted and, afterward, the bell rang for the end of the school day. However, for the sword fighting team at least, they had to stay after school for additional practice that Link thought was necessary. The sword fighting members were aware of their captain's rigorous work-out schedule and attempted their best to follow through. By the end of the day's practice, everyone was worn down to the bone, yet a few members were left standing with their swords still grasped in their fingers.

In sight of almost everyone sprawled on the wooden floors, Link shook his head and raised one hand to rub his sweaty temple. His breathing was just as heavy as when he entered the room, however, Link tried to shake off the earlier incident. Shuddering, he hefted his sword onto his shoulder and ordered, "Hit the showers, everyone."

With that, the members who were lying down suddenly had the strength to rise and run. On the other hand, Link decided to sate his thirst, but found that his water bottle was empty. Groaning, he realized that he had to use the vending machines since the school believed water fountains to be a lower class's privilege. With several rupees tucked away, Link accepted Darek's offer to return his sword and armor, before he walked out of the gymnasium and into the school hallways.

After he found the nearest machine, Link stared at the water bottle tucked behind the glass. His forehead bumped the clear barrier as he groaned, "Why are you so expensive?"

The blue rupee vanished into the currency slot and just as Link was about to reach for the bottle, a hand slammed onto the glass beside his head. Link had turned around sharply, however, he was caught between the princess and the vending machine. In actuality, he hadn't reacted in fear when he saw her. It was more alike to comfort since her eye level was about the same with his nose, and Link was very much accustomed to talking to girls below 5'3.

"Have you been looking for me this—"

"Quiet," she interjected. The princess wrinkled her nose, immediately stepping back. "Ugh, you stink."

It would had been a bad idea to be smart with her, but Link would had argued that he was being helpfully straightforward. "Well, I have been exercising for almost three hours now so—"

"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" He did so, holding up his hands in surrender. "Did you tell anybody?"

He was going to answer her, but beforehand, Link turned around to retrieve the water bottle. Surprisingly, Zelda saw that the drink was tossed her way and she caught it in time. As Link fed another blue rupee into the machine, he replied, "Tell what?"

Stifling a disgruntled groan, she crossed her arms and snapped, "That I asked another man to marry me?"

A pause followed. "That's none of my business."

"Oh, please," she scoffed, waving one hand about. "I know you're closely acquainted with the Daily Tatl. I bet she couldn't resist telling you that I was forced into arranged marriage. I would suspect that you're the same, having already blabbed to your girlfriends—"

"_They're not my girlfriends_."

"—and now they are aware that not only am I forced to marry a stranger, but also that I attempted to force a different man to marry me."

The princess was on point that Tatl didn't hesitate to tell Link and the girls. Somehow, it didn't faze Link that she knew, but of another matter. "Hold on." His forehead furrowed as he turned to her with another water bottle in his hand. "How come you're concerned with this whole you-proposing business from spreading, but Tatl can get away with chit-chatting about your arranged marriage?"

She scoffed, wrinkling her nose as though she took another whiff of him. "I thought that was none of your business?"

"Alright then." He popped the bottle cap off and took a swig of water. "Just so you know, I'm not planning to tell Tatl or anyone else that I saw you proposing."

Link knew the princess was watching him as he took another drink, this time downing the whole bottle. His thirst finally sated, he wiped the dry part of his hand across his mouth and tossed the bottle into the recycling. This would had been his moment to leave without being chased, however, there was a miffed noise from her direction.

"I know." Turning back to her, Link perceived that Zelda's expression was one of deep resentment. "I know I'm to be married to a stranger, ever since I've been born. I know that. Goddesses, everyone in Hyrule knows that." Her lips were pressed together as a light brought out the hope in her eyes. "But just this one time. The Queen is pushing me into marriage, but the King says, just this one time, that if I just find someone I want to marry out of my own will... He will accept that."

"So that guy was your secret boyfriend?"

"No, no, no." She exploded into a groan and tapped the water bottle against her side. "I don't have a person like that. The man I was proposing to—that man and I have no romantic relations... I simply selected him because he was a noble pushover. That way, he would have been the best fit to manipulate so that I could govern Hyrule on my own."

Link thought that was somewhat smart, given that she wasn't marrying for love. "So you're marrying him?"

Zelda looked at Link from the side of her glare. "No."

"Why? Why not? Did he know of your secret plan?"

Her reply was a sharp snap that had Link recoiling. "Would you please cut the interrogation?!"

"For Farore's sake," Link muttered. He was once again blaming his overbearing curiosity on the girls. "I didn't mean to pry."

"That does _not_ excuse that you did so."

"Sorry."

"Useless." Scoffing, Zelda looked to the side. "He's here, though."

"Who's he?"

"My fiancé." Zelda's glare was focused down the hall. Link expected some sort of deadly laser to flash from her vehement glare and burn to the hall's end where it appeared her arranged partner was. He was a dead man, Link thought to himself. "He's enrolled in this school, apparently. I wouldn't be here otherwise if it wasn't for him."

It was obvious that the princess did not know this man. Aiming to know her side of the story, Link asked, "Who do you think he is?"

"He's in the same grade as me, but other than that, I don't have an idea in the slightest," she hissed, her white fist almost popping the water bottle open. "I only hope to the Goddesses that he's just as against this marriage as I am." Finally, the bottle succumbed to the immense pressure of her hand. A spray of water splashed onto the floor and the princess impulsively stepped closer to Link. His forehead furrowed, before becoming showered with drinking water. Her bottle emptied, Zelda disposed of it casually, then explained to Link just the same, "Your odor is less evident now. It required great will for me to stand the stench, anyway." Appalled, he stared wide-eyed at her as she handed him a tiny handkerchief. "I do apologize. In any event, I do have to take my leave now. Perhaps, I'll be seeing you in our Advanced Hyrulean Literature class. That is all. Goodbye, Link." Just as she was turning away, she muttered something else that Link thought to sound like, "Thank you."

With that, she left the same way she appeared. Which was stupidly surprisingly Link who had pinched the handkerchief in disbelief. For several moments, he lingered in front of the vending machine. Then his breath came out in a snort, before he patted the square cloth across his brow and muttered to himself, "She's in my Lit class...?"

**.**

After Link showered and changed into his school uniform, he left the locker rooms to find the girls waiting impatiently. All at once, they were squealing excitably over each other. Silent, Link raised both of his hands in their direction, silencing them. With a small sigh, he rubbed his temple and commanded tiredly, "One at a time, ladies. Please."

"Felicia said she saw the princess chasing you!" Proxi blurted.

"No way!" Ciela giggled, bouncing on her toes. "She told me that she saw the princess talking with you, _alone_!"

Blinking bemusedly, Navi piped up, "I thought Felicia said that it looked like the princess wanted to murder you."

"Spill it, mister." Tatl smiled smugly with her arms crossed.

Instead, each of them was given a dead beat stare from Link, before he chose to walk past them without another word. They rushed to his side, begging him to reveal what really went down. It seemed all pleading was futile, however, Navi ran ahead to stop him in his tracks. It worked when Link stood before her. His hand rubbing his face, he groaned, "What now?"

The blue-haired girl reached into a plastic bag, pulling out a take-out box. "This was going to be your good-job gift, but now it's a bribe."

Truth be told, Link was never the one to say no to food. The girls often used this against him, like a weakness. He simply didn't have the will nor the stomach as something akin to hunger controlled his mouth to say, "Is that from Set-N-Out?"

"The only."

"Hamburger?"

"Deluxe cheeseburger. Deluxe cheese as in goat cheese. You know it."

Slowly, his fingers rubbed circles onto his eyelids. The girls could practically see his self-control crumbling, to their anticipation. It only took a second later, before Link grasped the bag's handle from Navi—the girls' expressions simultaneously lit up—before he dumped it into Proxi's hands. Then he moved on without another glance.

With a simultaneous whine, the girls followed after him.

Somehow, Link succeeded to make it to the bicycle racks. He was in the middle of unlocking his bicycle when Proxi shoved him aside, beaming. Taking his elbow, she lead him over to her and Navi's family car where the girls were waiting, impatiently again. Immediately, Link was worried for his bicycle but, looking back, he saw that the family's chauffeur was hefting his bike to the car's trunk.

"But you girls—"

"It's okay, Link," Ciela interrupted, smiling sweetly. "If you don't want to tell us, then you must a good reason for doing so."

"Plus," Tatl scoffed, her arms still crossed, "fifteen minutes is a world record for you."

Bursting into laughter, the girls settled into the car which was formatted as two seats facing each other. After everyone was situated, Navi handed Link the Out-N-Set bag, which he pushed away immediately. She pushed it back to him. "Hey, Link, listen! We want you to eat it!"

His forehead furrowing, Link said, "Really?"

"We bought it just for you anyway," Proxi answered and opened the box. "You don't have to torture yourself any longer."

With that, Link immediately lifted what he considered to be the goddesses' gift to earth and bit into the burger. The girls tittered in amusement, before reaching toward the box to steal the fries, which was the usual. Even though Link had never tasted an Out-N-Set fry in his life, he was grateful enough that the girls would purchase for him the best fast food in Hyrule.

"We're heading to your place, Link," Tatl informed with a mouth full of fries.

"Hmm?" His mouth was also full, however, he stopped and swallowed. "You're helping out again?"

"As much as I hate it, yeah, we are." An annoyed scoff passed her mouth, before she stuffed more fries.

Ciela handed her an Set-N-Out napkin as she continued to explain for Tatl, "She means she loves the kids, just not the..." Her sentence trailed off, however Link knew exactly what she was meaning to. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, it's always great whenever you girls help out," Link admitted and put down his half-consumed burger. "Grandma really needs all the help she can get. We couldn't afford Ilia to help out anymore." Hearing that, the girls clicked their tongues and reached for more fries. As they were, Link reached out his arms to embrace them all into a bear hug. "And my girls helping out for free. Man." The girls never liked the smell of Link after practice and shower, so they were flailing their fists at him aimlessly. "My squad is the best."

**. **

"Grandma!" After dumping his schoolbag near the door, Link hurried over to the kitchen. His elderly guardian looked up in surprise to see her towering grandson lean down to her humble height. Smiling with squinty eyes, she returned his wide-armed embrace. "Grandma, I'm back from school!"

Pulling away, his grandmother stared at him with absolute adoration. "My word, I guess you are." Link grinned, all bright-eyed. "How was school, sweetie?"

He stood up and shrugged. "S'kay." His hand reached out, waving to the girls who were dumping their bags as well. "I brought my friends over to help with the kids today."

"Hi, Grandma!"

"Good afternoon, Grandma!"

"What's cooking, Grandma?"

"Yo, Grandma."

The four girls stood in a line with their blue and blond heads ducked in respect. Then they lifted their gazes to see that Link's grandmother was before them, patting Navi's and Tatl's cheeks. Her signature, squinty-eyed smile was directed toward each one of them. "Afternoon, girls. I'm glad that all of you are around to care for my Link. I know he's got a worse memory than I do, but you girls take good care of him."

He coughed as the girls tittered teasingly upon hearing that. Before his grandmother could say anything else, Link nudged her away from them. "Hey, Grandma," he started, his arm pressed gingerly against her back, "since the girls and I are going to watch the kids today, why don't you take a break? I know you haven't had those in a while, huh?" Her small mouth opened, but Link patted her shoulder. "The doctor said to get plenty of rest, didn't he, Grandma?"

"Oh, but the kids need their lunch—"

Link smiled assuredly. "I can do it, Grandma. Please rest."

Her weathered fingers rested upon his callused hand upon her shoulder. "Only because you said please." This was good enough for Link who laughed in response and opened her bedroom door. His composure was surely as the same as before, but his grandmother could tell. Link was still somewhat sensitive regarding any and all matter that connected with his grandfather. Yet his grandmother's bedroom had every trace of her deceased husband and, standing by the door, Link knew. Knowing that as well, his grandmother patted his elbow and requested, "Sweetie, can you get me a glass of water?"

A minute later, his grandmother was dressed comfortably in bed along with a thin book. Her grandson returned with the water and an orange prescription bottle. With a click of his tongue, he retrieved her reading glasses and dimmed the light, just enough to still be able to read in. Afterward, he counted out two pills for his grandmother, watching her swallow and drink, before tucking her into her quilted sheets.

Moments passed, before Link finally saw that his grandmother was succumbing to sleep. Gently, he put aside her book and reading glasses. Just as he was about to leave the room, he heard his grandmother say clearly, "Sweetie?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it, Grandma." He smiled, unseen in the dimmed light. "Sleep tight, okay?"

"Okay, I will..."

With that, Link opened the door to leave. "... Okay, Smith."

He froze and glanced back, expecting his grandmother to say something else. There was nothing more. She had fallen asleep.**  
**

**.**

"Are you crying?"

Link had to take a moment to blink fiercely behind his hands, before focusing his eyes onto the girls. Tatl had her hands on her hips with a pair of fluttering wings behind her. It was the same for the other girls who donned wings as well, however, with much more exuberance decorating their appearance. All four of them had also changed out of their school uniforms and into variations of mini-dresses that appeared to be fabricated from a little girls' fantasy film. While Navi, Proxi, and Ciela had often looked forward to dressing up, only Tatl had opposed to what she considered was "the most stupidest, self-disrespecting outfit since the birthday suit."

"Are you a real fairy?" Link shot back, hope playfully shining in his eyes. When Tatl scoffed and crossed her arms, he smiled apologetically and walked over to the front door. "I'm going to get the kids. Act natural, ladies." All four of them rolled their eyes, but only three had tittered in amusement. "I mean, act fairy! I'll be back!"

With that, Link left his house and hurried over to meet the kids. The meeting location was a local bus stop where he had always arrived a few minutes early. After the school bus dropped off eight kids, Link counted them again to be certain, before cheering to follow after him. Mido stayed at the back of the crowd as the majority talked over each other, trying to gain Link's attention, and fought among themselves to hold Link's hands. But, this time, he brought up the fact that Mido never had a turn, then taking his hand, and Saria's on his other side. The rest of the children linked hands with each other to form a line, then talked over each other once again.

"Hold on!" Gasping sharply, Link had surprised the children to step away from the front door. "I think we have guests!"

"Who?! What?! Link, who?! Who're you talking—"

"HI KIIIIIIIIIDDSSSSSS!"

Seeing four phony fairies upon the doorstep, the children let out an ecstatic screech, before rushing over to the girls. Since the girls often didn't have major issues looking after the children, Link left them to their own devices. He remembered that his grandmother mentioned an after-school lunch, and so, he headed for the kitchen. It appeared that she had been in the middle of making mac-and-cheese. For several minutes, he was preoccupied with finishing the meal as he heard in the background various high-pitched voices blabbing nonsense to the girls. There was the occasional "Please don't touch my wings!" and the "Am I really fairy? That's a fairy secret!" but the girls mostly had the children under control.

Link knew they would. He was proud of them, in a way. Caring for the children had improved his paternal instincts, he thought.

"Lunch, everyone!" The girls had just helped the kids organize their jackets and shoes. "Wash your hands, okay?"

As the girls hustled them into the washroom, Link divided eight bowls of mac-and-cheese and set them onto the dining table. The children rushed over to their seats, clamoring to Link about their wet, but cleaned, hands. Laughing, he praised them and encouraged them to eat. Meanwhile, the girls set out eight glasses of milk and set the pitcher onto the counter. A moment later, Link joined them at the counter stools.

All at once, they released a sigh of exhaustion.

Checking Link's wristwatch, Tatl groaned, "It's only been ten minutes." The girls giggled tiredly as Link glanced down at his watch as well. "It's only been ten minutes and I've had three kids already ask me where I kept my pot of gold rupees."

"Just tell them we're rich in kindness," suggested Ciela. "That usually does the trick."

"I forgot how gullible the little ones are." Navi twirled a lock of teal hair around her index finger. "They're so adorbs."

"And depressing." Everyone looked over to Proxi, completely confused. "I guess it's just me then."

Sitting up straighter, Link asked, "What happened?"

She shrugged. "I don't know about you girls, but one of them asked if fairies could grant wishes." Proxi paused to see Tatl, Ciela, and Navi shake their heads. "Just to be an optimistic, I said that's a possibility, but then this child just..."

"Just what?" prompted Link.

"She asked me if I could grant her wish." Her lips forming into a pout, Proxi continued in a small mumble, "She told me, more than anything, that she wanted parents."

Hearing that, the girls breathed in sharply as though they'd just realized that these children were orphans. The girls couldn't exactly connect with the children—being that they all knew their mother and father, but also that they grew in wealthy, loving homes—so they fixated their somber stares over to Link. They turned to him when they did not know the meaning of a tragedy, however, they knew that Link's history was the picture definition of tragic.

Surprisingly, he smiled. "It's alright, Proxi. Tell them it'll come true. I'll make sure of it."

**.**

Moments later, the children finished their after-school lunch. Afterward, it was usually time for homework, which they more or less fought against. However, the girls were mastered in the arts of bribing and, eventually, the children were sitting at the dining table with their homework out. Meanwhile, Link had to fulfill the duty of dish-washing as the girls painstakingly helped the children.

"You know what!" Proxi stood up suddenly. "Let's go outside and then finish our homework!"

Instantly, the children agreed and rushed to be clothed in their jackets and shoes. They did hesitate, glancing back at Link, but he made no move to deny their fun. Instead, he watched out from the kitchen window which displayed the backyard of the house. He watched them play Freezard Tag with Proxi the Freezard, and then Hide-and-Seek with Ciela the seeker, and then Sage Said with Navi the sage. Link was watching the children being retaught 007 zzz by Tatl, when the doorbell rang. After turning the sink off, he removed his rubber gloves and hurried over to the front door.

Four men were on his doorstep. Link thought they might be salesmen when it appeared to be three brothers in suits, but who he couldn't wrap his head around was the center man. He had a pure white hair and beard down to his waist and was donned in some strange, antiquated robe. It took a moment for Link to remember to say something. "Um... Can I help you?"

The old—Link thought he must be old to have white hair—man spoke. "Is this the residence of Smith Forria?"

Intrigued by the name of his grandfather, Link stepped outside. "This is the residence, but the late Mr. Forria has passed away."

"Passed away?" He tugged the ends of his beard. "I wasn't informed of this. Does the Forrias still reside here?"

"They do," Link answered. "I'm Smith Forria's grandson, Link Forria."

"Grandson? Link? Ah, yes, _Link_." The old man turned back to the three suited men, nodding his head. "Link was his name, was it not?"

At once, Link felt an odd weight in the pit of his stomach. "Am I in trouble?"

"Oh no, my good boy, you are not in any sort of trouble. But," he started, stepping closer to Link, "you are the particular person we have been searching for."

"Huh?"

The old man spread his mouth in a wide grin, curling his beard around his fingers. "Well, that is because you are—"

"—_our prince!_" One of the suited man finished enthusiastically.

There was a prolonged pause.

Then Link nodded with a small, strained smile before casually stepping back into the house and closing the door after him. For just a slow minute, he leaned against the wooden barrier as the girls rushed toward him with curious gazes. Brushing back her blond bangs, Ciela questioned, "Hey, Link, was that the doorbell? Who was it?"

Link huffed in awe. "Some shady men out there are telling me I'm their prince." The girls beamed at him, totally interested. "Is the 'prince' a new drug?"

**.**

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**[tbc]**

* * *

**that's a lot in one chapter, but the more, the better? a note, the fairies dressing up as fairies is like the equivalent of Mickey Mouse and Goofy coming to your house to hang out, but their designs are more along Disney's Tinker Bell. if you were a kid, you'd totally love that. but the most important matter, this has been Link's and Zelda's first interaction so... if you have anything to say concerning that, please tell me all about it. **

**preview for next chapter: Link goes crazy at what his grandfather had done, Zelda goes crazy at what Link might not had done, and Link has to meet Zelda's mommy, the Queen.  
**

**one last thing; **

**TurtleCopter: **yo thanks for following ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	3. shit

**3**

**. . .**

**. . **

**.**

"Pardon us!" The old man's voice boomed from the outside. "I believe we are even now engaged in conversation?"

There was a disappointed groan from Link's direction. "Goddesses _damn it_." The girls watched with wide, all-catching eyes as Link slowly slid off the door and folded his fingers over the doorknob. "Aren't you girls supposed to be watching the kids?" With a whine, they sulkily returned to the backyard while Link returned to the front doorstep, smiling earnestly to suggest that he surely intended to rid these madmen off his lawn. "Sorry, I thought I was hallucinating, did you say prince?"

The suited man raised his hand. "I said prince. You're our prince."

Link's hand raised to rub his temple. "Look, man, I don't know anything about a prince, but I can't afford to be taking drugs—"

"Drugs?" He grinned cheekily. "We don't take drugs either. I just stated the fact that you're our prince. Generally speaking, Hyrule's prince."

Gritting his teeth, Link dug his fingers into his skin. "Why am I Hyrule's prince?"

"If you'd let us inside, we can explain to you in a much more detailed manner," a second suited man answered.

Link glanced at him dubiously. There didn't seem to be another option. "Alright. Come in."

Thinking all the while, Link led them into his home and into the empty living room. Playing the perfect host, he insisted that they sit on the sofas while he fetched a tray of tea that his grandmother usually saved for guests. In his head, he wished that it was his grandmother hosting these strange people, however, he rather not disturb her well-needed rest. Seated across from his guests, Link tapped his fingers against his knee as he asked, "So care to explain?"

The old man took hold of the subject. "I am Ezlo, one of the King's closest assistant and adviser. His Majesty prepared a message for a Smith Forria?" When Link shook his head, Ezlo continued, "Since Smith Forria is no longer of this realm, I suppose this message is best suited to relay to you, Link Forria. This concerns you, after all."

Furrowing his forehead, Link questioned, "Why?"

Lifting his teacup, Ezlo started, "It began almost forty-two years ago in a country southern to Hyrule. There was the former King of Picori who had hosted the annual Picori Festival Tournament. The competition was solely for the masters of sword-fighters. The reigning champion was His Late Majesty's son, and our current King of Hyrule, who was revered as the best swordsman in His Majesty homeland. That soon changed when entered the scene your grandfather." Link pointed to himself as to say '_My grandfather?_' Ezlo assured Link by stating aloud, "Smith Forria had courageously fought from the bottom ranks of the tournament to be able to duel with His Majesty."

Nodding along in acknowledgement, Link thought to himself, _Grandpa_,_ why didn't you tell me you were this badass?! _

"To His Majesty's surprise, their battle ended with a draw. Our King is a benevolent one when His Majesty held no ill will toward the talented commoner, and a Hyrulean foreigner at that. Rather, the King and Smith Forria formed a friendly rivalry. I would even say that they were close friends. They trusted one another very much." Ezlo paused, sipping slowly at his tea. "To the point that they agreed to an arrangement that would change the lives of their progeny."

_Uh-oh_, Link thought.

"The King and Smith Forria planned an arranged marriage, but between their families of contrasting class." Suddenly, perspiration started to build on Link's neck, but at a faster rate than the incident with the princess. This was separate incident occurring, on a much grander scale. Grand enough that, in his mind, Link was begging to the above, '_Oh, Grandpa, don't let this man tell me you did this to me, not me, please, Grandpa, please, please, please'_—"They had carefully chosen which members were to be involved in this matter. Those two members were the King's eldest daughter, Crown Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and Smith Forria's only grandson. The latter of whom I believe you already know—"

Standing up abruptly, Link blurted, "_NOO!_"

"Know?" the 'our prince!' man repeated.

"Uh-uhu-uhh," Link stuttered, realizing he almost lost his mind. Quieter now, he sat back down and coughed. "Know, yeah, I know... That's me?"

"Yes. After the affirmation of your identity, we are certain that Smith Forria's grandson is presumed to be you, Link Forria." Ezlo bowed his head, the suited men following him. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Link."

"Yeah... Same here." However, in Link's mind, he imagined himself on his knees, screaming and crying and then rolling hysterically onto the ground. It was a pitiful scenario of himself, but it was one that Link felt would definitely be happening if his guests weren't in the proximity of watching him. How could he make this better? "Actually, there's a bit of an issue. It's that—uhhhh—I-I-I lied. Yes, a lie. I'm not Link."

The second suited man spoke up sternly, "You just confirmed several times that you are Link Forria."

"Yeah, but I was lying." Shrugging, Link rubbed his sweaty palms over his knees. "I'm a compulsive liar. Sorry. Not really. There's no Link Forria here."

"Where is he?" the first suited man inquired innocently as the second narrowed his glare and inquired a different question, "Where is the hourglass?"

Immediately, Link smiled shakily as he laughed a slight too loudly, "Hourglass? What hourglass? What's an hourglass?!"

Just as quick, the second suited man rose from his seat with his perceptive stare searching the room. After a thorough observation, he stated, "He's lying. Not about being Link Forria. Do you understand, Rudrum?" He especially directed that last information to the first man. In response, Rudrum shrugged and smiled. On the other hand, the third with the blank face made a move by rising to his feet. Wordlessly, he followed after the second man, who had walked off to an adjoined hallway. Looking back, the second declared to Ezlo, "I will find the hourglass, Sir."

Narrowing his wizened eyes at Link, Ezlo took a sip of tea and nodded. "Do what you must, Rinku."

"There's nothing here!" shouted Link, scrambling to follow them.

Somehow, in some way Link wanted to learn, Rinku chose to open the door which led exactly into Link's room. Without a hint of hesitation, Rinku walked in with Rudrum and the blank-faced guard following suit. Screaming inwardly, Link hurried after the suited posse who stood in the center of his completely chaotic room. The one named Rudrum scratched at his hair, before saying, "Must be in the dresser, am I right?"

_I'm so stupid._

"The first is usually for tops, the second for trousers, so he must have hidden the hourglass in the miscellaneous drawer. It's the third drawer," the third man informed coolly.

_I'm so, so stupid. _

Rudrum was grinning as he carefully crossed his way to the drawer. After he made his way before the furniture, he whooped, "I have a feeling it's around here!" With that, he opened the third drawer, pushed around the inside articles, and then held up half of an hourglass with both hands, like a trophy. "You were right, Raven! Haha! Go team!"

_I'm so, so, so very stupid, _Link thought, dropping to his knees.

A figure loomed over him. "Stand, Link Forria." He looked up to see Rinku staring solemnly down at him. "You are still in the clear."

Link obeyed his order and followed after the suited posse, mumbling to himself, "That's what you think."

Back into the living room, Rudrum settled the hourglass into Ezlo's outward palm. Then he joined the others behind the sofa who stood with their hands clasped behind their backs. Link thought they were much more intimidating than before as he took his seat into the armchair. Opposite him, Ezlo held the hourglass up to his eyes and murmured, "Yes. This is the hourglass."

"_Oh Gods_," Link moaned into his hands.

Ezlo was oblivious to the state of Link's misery as he continued on, "To finalize the agreement, the King and Smith Forria divided an hourglass that Mr. Forria had welded himself. It was with this item that Princess Zelda and Link Forria would join together in holy matrimony as the hourglass would join together with its other half as well." Setting the hourglass onto the coffee table, Ezlo took a sip of tea. "That was the promise that the King and your grandfather had made, Link."

Behind his fingers, Link muttered, "Why?"

"I do not have the answer for that. I suppose that is an inquiry best suited for the King of Hyrule. We only wish to carry out His Majesty's agreement now because of His Majesty's illness," Ezlo answered. This made sense to Link who remembered Zelda's pushover noble asking about her father's health. "His Majesty wishes to witness the marriage of the Crown Princess, before His Majesty is to pass onto the Goddesses' Realm. But before His Majesty can do that, it was our responsibility to find Her Highness's fiancé, the owner of the other half of the hourglass. I apologize on part of the court guards to retrieve the hourglass, but they were acting for the sake of our king."

"It's alright. Not really." Link dug his fingers into his temple, but no amount of rubbing would calm the current calamity. "But what if I don't want to marry the Crown Princess?"

There was a prolonged pause. "We cannot stop you."

"_What?!_" At once, Link stood up, his expression brightened by a tenfold. "You're telling me that I have the option of saying no?"

"That is correct."

Link did not glare often, but he did so this moment. "When were you going to tell me this?"

A brief shade of shame passed Ezlo's face. "The King's will is our own."

"Understandable." Wave after wave of relief flooded over his anger, causing Link to break out into a great grin. "I think we know my answer."

"Did we fail to mention?" Surrender was not an option for Rinku when he spoke up, "There is a compensation."

"I don't want it," Link laughed. "I don't need it."

Still, Rinku continued, "The royal family has prepared a dowry for the Forria family." His laughter lowering in volume, Link met the steely stare of the grave guard. "In return of marrying Crown Princess Zelda, the royal family is willing to substantially increase the income for Kind Kokiri Homes and you, Link Forria, will receive a settlement for your own personal use."

This was major bait for Link.

He knew that increasing the income would allow his grandmother to rehire Ilia. She could renovate the rooms so that it wasn't four kids to a room and Aryll doesn't have to sleep in the storage closet, which was her bedroom. She could accept more orphans if the renovations expanded enough. Maybe even, she could hire a real housekeeper and a real chef and more children assistants and more assistants would free the girls. It would free his grandmother who was becoming exhausted, and _just old_, and even himself who had always been slacking in his schoolwork. He had to use the majority of his time to sword fight in order to keep his athletics scholarship.

With all this in mind, he let out a slow exhale.

"I... I just..." Only one thought conquered Link's mind, and he shared it aloud, "I just want to stay the same."

That prompted Ezlo to put down his teacup and stand. "I see." Finally, he made to leave with the suited posse behind him. "If that is what you wish. Although, I expect to hear your mind changed within a few weeks' time. Consider the agreement in its entirety as this folder contains the particulars in great detail. Please share this with your family." Furrowing his forehead, Link accepted a manila folder and followed after Ezlo and the suited posse to the front door. "We will ask for your final answer when the Queen of Hyrule summons you. Be prepared for that moment, Link Forria. Good day."

Link watched as they walked down the pathway and over to a high-class automobile. After seeing them disappear around a street bend, Link closed the door with his eyes squeezed shut. His breaths came out short and sharp, and was heard by the girls who held the hands of the children.

"Hey, Link." Conflicted, he looked up at Navi. "Are you okay?"

In response, he smiled softly and reached the folder out to them. "Decide for yourself."

**.**

"Oh my Gods," the girls continued to repeat, devouring line after line of the agreement. "_Oh my friggin' Goddesses_."

They were situated at the dining table, finally finishing up the children's homework. It took a while before the girls had a chance to read the folder, since the children were having trouble with their work, however, they thought the wait was worth the reward. Unable to stomach the idea of the promise, Link preoccupied himself by cutting apple slices for the children. The distraction wasn't working well when his mind was wholly wrapped on the agreement that his own grandfather had deliberately thought of with the King of Hyrule.

"You're seriously saying no?" Proxi picked up an apple slice, nudged the nearest child bite off half, and then popped the other half in her mouth. "It looks like this arrangement would help the orphanage?"

Sighing, Link lowered the knife and the half-sliced apple. "Think about it, Proxi. Yes, the dowry would help the orphanage, but think about this in the big picture. Think about me. I'm just a high school student who helps with his family's orphanage and sword fights on the side. That's just it. What else is there? You know someone like that can't be crown prince of Hyrule." His statement dawned upon the girls that becoming just that was riddled with a large load of responsibilities. "I don't know how to do a lot of things and I especially don't know how to govern a country. I don't even think I can even be taught how to do that. That's what a crown prince should be capable to do. I'm not him."

Tatl smirked knowingly. "Is all this no-no-responsibilities 'cause of your talk with the princess?"

"No. I mean, yeah, she's against it too, but I wasn't really thinking of her when I said no," Link explained. The girls looked at each, eager to finally hear what exchanges Link and the princess had. "It's just really obvious that an ordinary person could never govern a country. I'm going to screw up Hyrule, and I know it. The princess doesn't know her fiancé is me—well, the moment I talked with her, she didn't—but once she knows, she's going to reason that too. For Farore's sake, you girls know I can't be the Crown Prince of Hyrule."

"You go, guy! _Uh-huuuuh_. Turn down, Link."

His thoughts becoming clearer, he was relieved of the support from his friends. Smiling, he said, "Thanks, ladies."

Suddenly, the front door threw open and there was a female's shout, "I'm home!"

"Dining room!"

A moment later, thirteen-year-old Aryll Forria skipped into the room and immediately swiped an apple slice. Chewing on that, she said, "Hi, big brother." Her stare settled on the girls. "Hi, Navi, Tatl, Ciela, Proxi." Her mouth curved into a wide grin, Aryll leaned down to embrace three children at once. With their heads pressed against each other, they giggled as Aryll animatedly greeted them, "Hi, little ones. Working on homework, huh? How was school today?"

"Aryll." Looking back, Aryll glanced at her brother with their gazes mirroring each other. "Read this."

Proxi handed her the folder, which Aryll received with a skeptical stare. "What's this, big brother?" Link only looked away as he fiddled with an apple peel from the table. Humming to herself, Aryll shrugged, took a seat cross-legged onto the table, and flipped to the first page. It only took a moment, before she slid off the table's surface, screeching, "_What the hey?!_"

"Quiet." Link was surprised at how level-headed he sounded. "Grandma's sleeping."

"What the _hey _is this?!" Her hand slapped the papers, but her hard stare was on Link. "King of Hyrule? Grandpa?! Grandpa's been dead for almost two years now! He didn't say anything about making you the Crown Prince of Hyrule!"

"I think he did." Link's fingers tapped against his temple. "I just don't remember it."

"Big brother!"

"I don't know... I don't remember... I don't want to remember, Aryll."

"That was two years ago! _Big brother!_ What're you gonna do?!"

"I said no, of course!"

"That's what I thought!" Aryll beamed and flipped past the other pages leisurely. "We need you here, big brother."

He rubbed his temple, smiling. "Glad to know I'm needed here, not wanted."

Smiling as well, Aryll rolled her shoulders back. "Well, we all know Grandma wants you here. Maybe the kids? Hey, guys!" The children looked up from their homework and blinked up at Aryll, wide-eyed. Pointing to Link, she leaned down and asked, "Do you guys want Link to stay with you? Or should he go to the big, bad castle where you'll never see him again?"

Most of the kids began to sputter the former and stood up, reaching out for Link. A small sound of disapproval left Link's mouth before he was covered with various children clinging to his arms and legs. Some were in tears, wiping their weeping eyes and noses upon Link's clothes, as some others loudly declared their want for Link to stay at the orphanage. In some way, it felt like Link was encompassed with support, and it was within this moment that Link realized there was no other home than here.

**.**

The next day passed as any other to Link's relief. He'd hoped the girls wouldn't tell anyone since he'd sworn them in for secrecy. It was the fact that sometimes they kept the swear seriously, and sometimes they didn't. This time, they were true to keeping their word, and they were in no way related to an angry princess searching for a specific student. And Link, he was especially concerned for an angry princess on the loose, therefore, he decided to skip Advanced Hyrulean Literature and sword fighting practice, instead spending his last period with the girls.

_Dance Studio 514_, Link thought, _remember this remember this remember_—

"It'll last longer if you take a picture," Navi chirped helpfully.

Link did just that as the girls laughingly entered the studio. After Link snapped approximately twenty pictures, he slipped into the room as quickly as he could. While the girls were stretching their willowy limbs, Link gathered their bags beside him against the mirrored wall. Then he reclined onto the wooden floor, his head propped on Tatl's handbag. The night before had been a nightmare on him since all he did in bed was think and think about was his grandfather's agreement. Even so, now that he was at school, he attempted his best to focus on his education, however, it didn't help that the princess attended the same school that he did.

"_Oh man_," he groaned and threw his blazer onto his face.

"Hey, Link." With the blazer off, he turned his head to Proxi. "Can you please get us Spryte Zeros?"

Immediately, he got onto his feet. Lying down had twisted his nerves even more. His wallet out, Link said, "I got it."

A round of grateful cheers followed after Link when he left the studio and eventually, he found the nearest vending machine. Muttering an annoyed swear, he fed blue rupee after blue rupee into the machine. He was reaching for the fourth bottle just as a hand shot out and slammed the glass beside his head. Startled out of his mind, Link flinched as though a spasm riddled his body, causing all the Spryte Zeros to clatter below.

"For Farore's sake!" Swiveling around, Link met the blazing blue eyes of the princess. "Can you stop?!"

She had no time for his complaints, however. "Who do you think he is! Who do you think he is?! _Who do you thINK HE IS?!_"

Link blinked. "What?"

"You...! You! _You jerk!_" she shouted, stepping back with flushed cheeks. "You were talking about yourself!"

"What?!"

"You—you were—What in Hyrule are they doing?!"

"Hi."

Following her pointed hand, Link spotted the girls seated upon the ground with their bright eyes memorizing every moment. Then he looked back to the princess with a small shrug. She was about to throw the nearest object at him when he explained, "They won't tell anyone. They promised me." This didn't seem to convince the princess at all who was about to direct her frustration onto them. The girls didn't seem to be care, even more so when Tatl lazily sprawled onto the floor. "Uhh, Zel—"

"Fine!" she interjected, a scoff heard under her breath. A moment passed, before the princess remembered she was suppose to inflict her fury upon him. "But you! How can you not remember, you impossible idiot?!" Practically steaming, Princess Zelda ran her hands through her hair multiple times, before reciting verbatim, "_My fiance! He's enrolled in this school, apparently! I wouldn't be here otherwise if it wasn't for him!_" Her glare was pointed sharply at Link, but a fog still clouded his memory. "_Who do you _THINK_ he is?! He's in the same grade as me, but other than that, I don't have an idea in the slightest! I only hope to the Goddesses that he's just as against this marriage as I am!_"

Blinking in awe, Link touched his cheek. "You remembered all that?"

"You DIDN'T?!"

Navi quipped, "His memory's as good as a goldfish's."

Surprising all the girls, a short laugh emitted from his mouth. "Sorry, but it's true. I never told you that my memory is totally terrible?" From the crossed expression on Zelda's face, Link thought he still wasn't excused. He winced as he heard the girls snorted, obviously judging him. "But hear me out! Look, Zelda, I wasn't—"

"Quiet!" To Link's horror, her expression had shifted to one of humiliation and murder-hunger. "You horrible—you are such—yu-you were mocking me the whole time!"

He was quiet for a moment, before he replied, "Mocking you? I wasn't mocking you, Zelda. I would never mean to do something like that." Even though his tone had softened, the bloodthirsty look on the princess's face did not. "Look, I just want you to know that I had that one conversation with you hours before... before I learned about the whole... the..."

"... The goddesses awful agreement," she finished in a huff.

He rubbed his neck. "Yeah."

"Bummer."

"Uh-huuuhhh."

"Such a disappointment."

"Hey, Proxi, hand me the Sprytes Link dropped."

"I don't believe this!" Her hands in her hair, Zelda shook her head fiercely as though a demon had controlled her. That was the impression Link and the girls were getting. "I don't believe any of this! How could His Majesty promise me to a commoner?! I thought all this time that he was at least a noble! How could you not be!? This academy is ridiculously extortionate and especially for a commoner! I don't—I can't—!"

"Wow, peasant prejudice much?"

"I'm not a peasant, Tatl." His voice lowering, Link meant to inform the princess. "I'm a scholarship student."

Her glare flaring, she snapped, "What?!"

"I said you shouldn't get so worked up about this," Link spoke up. In return, the look on her face suggested that she believed she wasn't "so worked up," but Link attempted to calm her nonetheless. His voice soft again, he said, "I had the option of saying no."

The murderous glint in her eyes had completely gone out. "Repeat that?"

"I had the option of saying no. To marrying you and being crown prince and all that. I said no."

"You're... You're not lying to me, are you?" It amused Link how suddenly the hopeful light in her eyes was brightening her entire expression. In a sudden moment, her heart-shaped face was tilted up toward him and he really tried to quiet the thought that Crown Princess Zelda was much prettier, up close. "Please tell me that you're not lying to me. Please."

A small smile involuntarily crept across his mouth. "I'm not lying."

For a moment that Link hoped to last longer, all the troubles appeared to had lifted from the princess's life as she mirrored Link with a soft, content smile. It was apparent to the girls as he could hear them whispering heatedly with one other, but he wasn't focused on them at all. Somehow, it appeared as though another fog had settled upon Link, although this was a cloud that gave Zelda a light he didn't even know was there before.

"Link?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

The smile stayed on her lips. "Thank you."

_Say it again, _Link thought as he actually said, "It's the better choice for me and Hyrule if I said no so it wasn't just because of you—of you saying something, I mean."

"Regardless. You have my gratitude." Even though Link believed he responded with a small smile, the girls clicked their tongues at his obviously besotted expression. "I suppose I will see you later?" Forcing himself, he managed a strange shrug of his shoulders. The princess didn't appear to catch that as she nodded toward the floor. "Goodbye, ladies. Bye, Link. Thank you again."

With that, she left Link in a daze. It was only momentarily when the girls threw their empty bottles at Link who reacted with a loud, "Ow! That hurts!"

"You want her!"

"You really totally unconditionally like her!"

"You have a schoolgirl crush on her!"

"You're an idiot for liking her!"

Instead of refuting their statements, Link leaned down to collect the bottles. Just as he was standing straight, empty bottle after bottle hit various parts of his upper body. It inflicted tiny shots of pain which had Link raising his arms for protection. Behind his arm, he could see that the girls were picking bottles from the recycling bin and throwing at him. He couldn't understand why they were recycling bottles this way or even why they were furious with him in the first place.

"Hey, stop!" His hand successfully whacked a bottle back. "Hey, that was half-empty! Stop!"

"_You moron!_" the girls shouted, before falling to their knees.

Link was astounded how they were finally picking up their plastic weapons. "Why are you all so angry with me?"

Astounding Link even more was that Ciela had answered. "You could have married her!"

The statement confused Link. After disposing the bottles in his arm, he leaned down to collect more. His gaze was focused on the floor when he mumbled, "So what?"

"So you dummy!" Navi wailed, whacking Link with a bottle. He winced as she sighed, "It's an unrequited love story."

It dawned upon Link.

Amused, he laughed, "You girls need to stop watching your dramas."

"I would watch the heck out of yours." Proxi stared straight at Link as she hurled a bottle at the recycling bin. Success. "A peasant who was born to wed the princess. But he declined and then fell in love with her out of stupidity, but the princess weds a tall, dark, and handsome noble instead. The peasant eventually dies with regret and with no one at his side."

Moments passed as the girls tossed bottles while Link stared at Proxi, before he offered his opinion, "Proxi. That sounds terrible. As in no-one-would-want-to-watch terrible."

"I'd watch it," Proxi scoffed.

"Same," the others piped up. "Tragic first leads are so in right now."

Link shook his head. "I forgot how horrible your cinematic tastes are."

"But you admit to liking her!" Ciela plopped herself before Link. "The look in your eyes said so!"

He shrugged. "I'll meet new people, Ciela."

She pouted. "You shouldn't do that, Link."

"Why not?"

"As a connoisseur of grade-A dramas, I know all there is to true love." Ciela did not appreciate how Link chuckled in response and leaned even closer to him. He did not appreciate that. "So listen well to me, Link. I've watched enough dramas to know when a guy is in love. Like the one that changes your life! Link, the look on your face when you saw the princess smile was the exact same look as the men who saw the love of their lives. You're really going to pass over something so splendid?"

The girls were nodding intensely in agreement with Ciela's small spiel. They thought Link was too, if he hadn't half-smiled in amusement and if he hadn't said, "Ciela, you know those dramas are all fake, right?"

**.**

The girls were upset after that.

They weren't the type to pressure Link or to ignore him either, but they did narrow their eyes at certain times. Such as when the princess passed by their table and greeted them amiably. And when the princess walked up to Link, asking him if he still had her handkerchief. The girls thought it was worst-case scenario when Link admitted that the rumor was true, that the princess accepted to be his literature project partner. It was so painfully obvious that Link was extremely ecstatic that the princess would accept him as friends—so far—but the girls knew that would hurt him, maybe not now, perhaps later.

Link tried not to be bothered by their reactions, but it bothered him anyway.

The day he received the official statement requesting him to meet with the Hyrulean Queen was the day he doubted his own decision. There wasn't any real motivation to change his mind, however, Link knew there was something more to his own free will. Since he didn't know what that was, he turned to the one person who could had possibly known.

After tucking the children to sleep, Link headed to a small room nearby his grandmother's bedroom. At first, he lingered in the doorway of his grandparents' office, before flipping the light switch on. The bookshelves of blacksmiths' arts and drawers-full of orphanage records characterized the office as organized, save for the plenitude of paperwork on the desk. That would had been Link's first clue, however, he reached for a framed photo upon the desk's corner.

The photograph was taken before his grandfather passed away. Alive, he was a bulky, intimidating man with pure white hair that was hidden by a deep green headscarf, knitted by Link's grandmother for her husband. Link remembered his grandfather being buried with the headscarf, but mismatched in a black suit. Shaking his head, Link focused on the other faces in the photo which were of Aryll, himself, their grandmother, and their parents. Aryll and their grandmother were smiling brightly enough to reach their eyes, however, they didn't smile that genuinely anymore. Link could take a stab why, since one causation would point to the couple in the photo.

His throat tightening, Link flinched from the faces of his parents and consequently dropped the photo.

The item clattered upon the desk. With a sigh, Link picked up the photo along with several stray papers. Placing the photo face-down, Link stared at the pages, curiously scanning the printed information. From what Link knew, the paper listed the amounts of several housing utilities and these amounts were yet to be paid. What was much more curious was the fact that the date of these bills ranged from two to four months ago.

"Sweetie?"

Looking up, he met the apprehensive stare of his grandmother. "Grandma?" The papers in her direction, Link questioned, "Hey, Grandma, what's this?"

"Oh dear," she murmured, reaching out her hands. Link obliged and handed the papers over to her. "Oh dear, Link, sweetie, this wasn't meant for you."

"Grandma?" Her back toward him, his grandmother was filing the papers into a red folder. "Grandma, is the orphanage in trouble?"

Turning around, she faced him with a small smile. "It's just a little pickle, sweetie. I'll handle it."

Somehow, Link thought of the opposite. "How?"

His grandmother didn't answer. Instead, she filed the red folder into a locked cabinet and then shuffled around the room, picking up stray items here and there. It appeared she was making her way to the door, however, she never made the move to leave.

"Grandma."

"Link," she finally said, smiling with squinted eyes. "If you want to know, you have to promise me it won't change your mind."

His heart heavy, Link hurried before her and kneeled down to her level. His hands on her feeble shoulders, he whispered, "Grandma, you know I can't promise that."

"Oh dear." With a weathered hand to her cheek, she shook her head. "Link. Please forget about this. Please."

A moment passed as Link stared solemnly at his grandmother. Then his hands lowered, settling on top of hers. His stare lowered as well, focused on their entwined hands. "Grandma, you know I can't do that either." She appeared to be on the edge of bursting into tears, which Link could not blame her for. "Grandma, please. Please tell me. Grandma."

So she did.

"Good heavens, I don't even know where to start." Link gave her several moments to gather her thoughts. "I-I think it was after your grandfather passed away... We were alright since your grandfather saved up quite a bit of money. But then I should have been more careful. That money wasn't going to last forever, oh dear." Link knew he shouldn't stress his grandmother like this, but he needed to know. After setting his grandmother into a chair, he held her hands again and nodded for her to continue. "Your grandfather didn't worked just for us, dear. Some of his income went to the orphanage, because it was a standard too small to be properly funded. Your grandfather worked for us and the kids, sweetie. And when he was gone, I didn't know if I could manage the orphanage all on my own. I thank the Goddesses everyday for you and Aryll. My hearts." She paused, wiping at her eyes and running her thumb over Link's hand. "But it wasn't enough. The savings your grandfather worked for is running out. I'm so sorry, sweetie, but I could think of one answer."

His stare soft, Link asked gently, "What's that?"

"Oh dear, oh dear," she whispered, her hand rose to rub her cheek. "Link, sweetie, I've had a small talk with the children. The older ones are in middle school now. They said they would care for the younger ones whenever you and Aryll aren't home. I know it's my job to care for them, but I am caring for them. I think I'll do that by... I'll do that by working as a cook for the Lumpy Pumpkin." Immediately, Link's reaction was one of deep objection, however, his grandmother quieted him. "They were always short of soup cooks and you know very well how much you like my soup. It would be fair to share them with other people, wouldn't it? There's only a tiny problem that I'll be working both the lunch—"

"_Grandma!_" Link exploded, suddenly and sharply. "Grandma, you can't be working so much! You shouldn't even be working right now! What did the doctor say? What will the doctor say?!"

"Sweetie," she called softly. "Sweetie, you've already been working with the children. Don't tell me you've forgotten on the weekends, you've been working at Malo Mart all day and all night. You've always been a good student, but I know you're falling behind in your schoolwork. Sweetie, I know that you have too much on your plate, so please let me—"

"No, Grandma! I can't let you handle everything! I'll handle it!" In response, his grandmother was the epitome of pathetic heartbreak as Link didn't exactly ponder on the effects of his words. "I—I'll-I'll drop out of school, Grandma! I'll start working full-time at Malo Mart. I'll work my way up from there, or I'll work two or more jobs, and I'll ask the girls to help out more often. I'll beg them if I have to. We're going to keep this orphanage together, alright, Grandma?"

There were tears in her eyes.

He laughed suddenly, sharply. "Oh man, I forgot about Aryll. She's gonna do whatever I do so—uhhh—Grandma, I'll-I'll beg her to stay in school. One of us has got to have an education, right?" Blinking back the heat in his eyes, Link sat up straighter and pulled his grandmother into a desperate embrace. "I'll handle it, Grandma, I promise, I got it, okay, okay, okay—"

A moment passed, before it dawned upon him.

He didn't want to do any of that. Neither dropping out nor working multiple jobs nor begging the girls. None of it. Did that mean his grandmother had to be the solution and the sacrifice? Link could never allow that. There was also the case that neither of them could earn enough to erase the debt. So then would they do nothing? Do nothing and allow the orphanage to close down and then distribute the children to other organizations that could not promise that each child will receive the love and care they received at Kind Kokiri Homes?

With all this, Link knew there was only one other option.

"Grandma," he murmured, turning his head against her pure white hair, "I'll handle everything."

**.**

The day of the Hyrulean Queen's summoning, Link woke up bright and early.

He stared at the ceiling for a solid ten minutes. He ate his breakfast, slowly and silently. He took the longest shower of his life. Afterward, his grandmother was waiting with a dark green suit laid out on his bed. Link knew the last time he wore a suit was for a funeral. After that, he never liked wearing suits. He thought it was terribly peculiar as he saw himself in the mirror. Staring at his clean-cut reflection, he said nothing as his grandmother fastened his necktie.

Once she finished, she stepped back slowly and mused, "You look just like your father."

His throat had tightened, allowing nothing to be said.

Outside was the same automobile as last time. Ezlo wasn't present, but the suited posse were. After saying goodbye to his grandmother, Link followed Raven to the backseat where Rudrum was grinning excitedly. He greeted Link who smiled weakly in response. While Rinku drove, the rest of the ride was quiet until the car finally arrived at its destination. However, Link did not think of the main Hyrule Castle's opulent surroundings. He only followed the suited posse who led him into an extravagant reception parlor. Once he took his seat, the suited posse disappeared without any further instructions. For several moments, Link sat with his fingers fumbling with his tie. The situation was much too foreign for him, however, just as he heard someone entering, Link stood and bowed his head.

"Sit." Link did so, seeing that it was almost identical two women. The Queen of Hyrule took her seat on the opposite sofa, her daughter beside her. Unseen by the Queen, Princess Zelda winked and gave a thumbs-up at Link, their own secret code. Link gave the same smile to Zelda as he did to Rudrum. "Link Forria, I am pleased that you had accepted my invitation, but I will certainly cut to the chase. I summoned you here today for one reason." At this moment, Link inhaled quietly and prepared himself. "What is your answer?"

This was opposite, everything to what Zelda imagined.

Because Link had lifted his serious stare over to her. She was curious as to why. Their eyes were locked as he parted his mouth and he said to her, "I will marry Crown Princess Zelda of Hyrule."

**.**

**. . **

**. . . **

**[tbc]**

* * *

**oh, Link, if only you knew your story is based off a "fake" drama. well it is fake, but it's reality for Link. chapters gonna get longer from here! next chapter previews to the extent of how much his fiancée is pissed off (a lot) and his plans to get out of the unseen repercussions of his assent (he doesn't have one).  
**

**thanks for the r&amp;r last chapter;**

**russub19:** glad you like the joke I try ❤

**RageMuffinz: **your reaction was great I loved it haha. and uhhhh how about Link having hardcore feels for Zelda? btw, Rage, I'm a ma'am ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	4. like

**4**

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**.**

The silence was much heavier than anything Link had heard before.

"Your Majesty!" Princess Zelda's tone of voice had sharpened, however, her head was bowed, yielding to her mother. "Forgive my brashness, but I request an immediate audience with Link Forria." Her fury flaring, Zelda glanced over to Link who shrunk in his seat. He thought that the princess would pounce on him any moment after she stated, "_Alone_."

In response, the Queen of Hyrule lifted her hand with her frigid gaze mirroring her daughter. "In a moment, Crown Princess." Relieved, Link rubbed his hand over his chest where his hummingbird heart was pulsing too fast, too loud. "I have a few matters for Sir Forria that I wish to discuss with him privately."

Hearing that, Zelda quelled the urge to yank Link by his necktie. In lieu of that, she bowed her head in respect to the Queen and then strode out of the parlor. The sound of her heels clicking away from Link slowed his pulse immediately, however, he was aware of another stony stare. Still, he was glad that there was no murder-hunger expressed by the Queen. Rather, Link noticed the multitude of similarities that the Queen and Princess shared. Obviously, Zelda received her regal appearance from her mother as the Queen was a perfect prediction of Zelda in the future. It was also the fact that the two shared an almost cold disposition, which Link thought could be literal as the Queen met Link's eyes, sending a shiver to run down his spine.

Because of his observation, Link didn't notice a maid entering to lower a tray of tea onto the coffee table. As the maid punctiliously poured a second cup, the Queen lifted her own with her poised posture undisturbed. With the tea on her lap, the Queen did not drink, instead she spoke to Link, "How fares your health, Sir Forria?"

Link didn't know if he should take a cup too then talk, or just talk. What were the royal procedures for this? Quickly, he chose the former, settling the cup onto his thigh. "I-I'm-I _fare_..." A moment later, he ducked his head towards the Queen, similar how Zelda did. He wondered what "fare" had meant, and simply chose to blabber, "I fare alright, I think, I mean when Your Majesty said 'fare,' does Your Majesty mean like the Medieval Fair every summer, like the children really enjoy—"

The Queen raised her hand. Furrowing his forehead, Link had no idea why it worked to cease his train of thought. His hand lifted to his temple as the Queen lowered hers upon the folds of her dress. "Please be at ease, Sir Forria. The King and I are aware that your burden is heavy. There is also that you still stand as a student?"

"That's right, Your Majesty."

She was quiet, before murmuring, "The same as the princess." The Queen tilted her chin upward in the slightest, which had Link lowering his gaze in the same degree. "As the prince-to-be, you must stand for the sake of Hyrule and aid for our country's stability of peace. There is the most important factor that you must do all that with the union of Crown Princess Zelda."

_That's a lost cause, _Link thought, but nodded nonetheless.

"You are still willing to go through with this marriage with all this in mind?"

Unwavering, Link was immediate to declare, "With all this in mind, I will marry Crown Princess Zelda."

Intrigued by his intensity, the Queen replied, "Tell me why, Sir Forria."

He hesitated, before admitting, "This is the only choice I have." The Queen appeared to have already known that fact. Link hadn't expected her to respond as calmly as she did, still, he swallowed and continued, "Can I ask a question for Her Majesty?"

A dainty hand waved in his favor.

His exhale was shakier than he liked, but Link questioned onward, "If I marry Crown Princess Zelda, then I was told that the funds for Kind Kokiri Homes will substantially increase. I just want to know if—"

"That is correct."

Link looked up, wide-eyed out of relief.

"That is a matter you should not be involved in." When the Queen met Link's eyes, he knew it would be disrespectful to look away. "I have an inquiry of my own, Sir Forria." He nodded, knowing he had to answer regardless. "Are you aware that if you marry the Crown Princess, that you will also receive a settlement for your personal use?"

Furrowing his forehead, Link blinked. "I'm sorry, but I don't want that. I just want the orphanage funds."

That enough was honesty to the Queen. Her head slightly tipped, she revealed, "Since you so badly wish to be a part of the Royal Family, the Forria family will receive benefits that will secure your family's reputation." Seeing that Link relaxed his stiff shoulders, the Queen took up her teacup, which was refilled with steamed tea. "The rest of your inquiries shall rest in the hands of Ezlo who will come to your aid at once." She paused, looking back at the grand parlor doors. "I suppose I shall direct him to you at this moment since you're to move into the palace tomorrow—"

"Tomorrow?" Link repeated, his hand lifting to swipe the sudden beads of sweat. "Your Majesty, I couldn't possibly move by tomorrow."

A moment passed as the Queen sipped at her tea, then her eyebrows knitted together. The Queen lowered the teacup, and it was taken away as a replacement was instantly placed before her. The maid flustered, bowing and apologizing profusely, but when she earned no reaction from the Queen, she hurried out of sight. His perspiration doubling, Link could hear her being harshly berated as an elder maid slipped into the parlor.

"Sir Forria."

He flinched, almost dropping his teacup, and replied, "Y-Yes, Your Majesty?"

"How long?"

"I-I—" His thoughts scattered, Link hurried to gather his mind. "I don't understand?"

Silent, the Queen rose her teacup and sipped slowly. After finding the taste satisfactory, she returned the cup onto the table. Her gaze now the slightest warmer toward Link, the Queen stated her full inquiry, "How long do you need before you move into the palace?"

"Oh!" gasped Link, his eyes brightening. "I-I guess, I mean, I would like a-a—uhh—a week. Just a small week." Then he hastily tacked on, "Please, Your Majesty. It'd be hella rad—"

At once, the Queen repeated after him, "Hell-uh rah-d?"

_Damn it! You moron!_ Link reprimanded himself as he verbally attempted to reassure his formal disposition. "It's—uhhhh—it is aaaaaaa—a phrase for '_extremely good_.'"

It only took the longest moment of his life, before the Queen responded with, "I see how it is." By the tone of her voice, Link doubted that she really did and could no longer meet the Queen's stare. "I suppose it is a week then." The possibility of hearing the Queen agree shocked Link, but he was bubbling with reassurance. "That is all I had to discuss with you, Sir Forria. I must take my leave." When she stood, the palace help followed her in sync. Then she stopped before the open doors as she left her farewell to Link, "Enjoy this week as your last."

**.**

_What the hell does she mean by that?_

However, Link didn't think much of that when he asked the maids to fetch the suited posse. The maids were in awe when immediately afterward, the future prince had his running start away from the parlor. Link was truly inept with his memory, however, if the time came—such as impeding exams and a bloodthirsty princess—he could pretty much force himself to remember one critical thing. At this moment, the route of the castle was the memory he desperately searched through the files of his mind. This last resort was a sort of success as Link was recalling the differences between left and right, and he used that to his advantage as hastily as he could. Luck was definitely on his side when the third turn he took, the suited posse were within his sight

"Your Highness?" Rinku questioned just as Link rushed past him.

_They have blueprint of the castle somewhere in their minds_, Link thought. As stoically as he could, Link attempted for an authoritative tone as he whispered, "_I want out._"

The only one who exploded in laughter clasped his gut as Rudrum took the lead, grabbing Link's sleeve. "Follow me, Your Highness!"

Even though the palace was excessively extensive—to say the least—, the suited posse were able to direct Link to the castle's front within the next minute. In awe, Link watched as Raven lunged over the hood and into the driver's seat while Rinku maintained the courtesy to open Link's door. After Rinku and Rudrum slid on either side of Link, he begged and pleaded to the driver, "Raven, please now, like drive now—"

"YOU—YOU—YOU—"

Hearing that from the outside, Link squeezed his head between his hands and ordered, "Floor it _now!_"

Raven was uncertain whether to drive as he glanced at the pink-faced princess and his current superior, however, it wouldn't be any fun to listen to the former. Therefore, the princess was shocked to see that several feet before her, the vehicle containing Link Forria had actually peeled out of the driveway and drove quite the ways away. From the look of her face, the front palace guards thought that she were to direct her frustrated fury onto them. However, the princess turned to the guards with a strained smile and white fists clasped over one another. The palace guards thought it was well advised that they say and do nothing when the princess was a breaths away from completely losing her mind.

"Zelda!"

Turning around with a vicious expression, the princess was close to terrifying an innocent, but upon recognizing the person, the murder hunger disappeared. Rather, Zelda brightened, calling back, "Poppy!"

**.  
**

**9:47 AM. _Navi:_ Hey! Link! Listen! What happened?  
**

**9:47 AM. _Proxi:_ Navi and I are literally screaming rn! Hey, details, Link!**

**9:48 AM. _Ciela:_ Good morning, Link! How did it go? **

**9:50 AM._ Tatl:_ the queen pissed af? wtf happened, capt. tardiness?  
**

**10:01 AM. _Link:_ It's not Link and it never was Captain Tardiness. It should be Your Highness soon. Fml :(**

**.**

"Link! Wake up! _Link!_"

The children giggled upon Link's bed as he attempted to ignore the obvious weight upon his body. Unable to do so, he threw his arm over his eyes and groaned, "Guys, please. I barely got any sleep." The children didn't know the concept of sleeping in as they were always up bright and early. They succeeded in awakening Link in the same manner. "Alright! Enough! I'm up!"

By his bedside was one of the more mature children who informed, "There's some people at the door calling for you, Link."

Link thought it must be Ezlo and his helpers since the Queen reminded him before. Looking to the side, Link smiled tiredly. "Thanks, Saria... Urgh, can you tell these guys to get off me?"

Saria coaxed her friends to Aryll who never failed to wake up early. After the children left his room, Link was about to pull on a shirt at least, but he reasoned he had his pants so he scrapped that idea. Instead, he wrapped his huge comforter around his shoulders and dragged himself to the front door. It irked him that the royal help were creating an unreasonable commotion in the early morning, however, he thought that he better invite them inside where it was warmer.

Once Link opened the door, he realized that was a mistake.

Just a few yards ahead, the suited posse were holding back a mass of photographers and reporters. Link thought he heard Rinku and Raven yelling at him to get back inside, however, the warnings were indistinguishable underneath the sudden snapping of cameras and the roaring repetition of his name. He blinked as all he heard was, "Link Forria! Look over here! Link Forria! Link Forria! Smile this way! Link Forria! Over here! Link Forria!"

There was a moment, before Link stepped back inside his home and closed the door. That only increased the cacophony outside, however, Link was certain to flick every lock of the door. After that, he plopped against the wooden barrier, twisting the comforter tighter around himself. Although he tried his very best not to, Link realized the photographers had taken pictures of him without his shirt , but with his seagull-patterned pajama pants... along with his marshmallow blanket.

The realization pushed him to hide his bed-tousled head underneath his comforter and he released a necessary scream.

**.**

"It was not publicly announced yet," Raven spoke, rubbing his chin. "It is an unwanted situation."

The suited posse were able to force the mass behind the orphanage gates in ten minutes. However, the last two hours were spent trying to find a way for the children to leave for their school. Since Link was the star of an unwanted show, the suited posse were responsible for leading the orphans to their bus stop and they successively met little interference. There was the odd question of asking the children for their views on Link, however, Link was grateful that the majority babbled about his good sides. Besides Mido who claimed that Link had rocks instead of a brain.

A frown lined his mouth when Link was filled in by Rudrum. Link wasn't paying much attention to the current problem since he was already fifty minutes late. Glancing down at his watch, Link moaned when he was officially an hour late to school.

"It is very simple," Rinku stated as though the obvious. "We clear a path for His Highness that directs to the vehicle. Then we drive His Highness to the academy where, again, we will have to clear another path, until His Highness safely enters the building." He stood up from his seat, already prepared to go through with his plan. "Child's play. Let us leave."

With hands holding his face, Link replied, "I don't want to go in the car." The three turned to Link with similar reactions of disbelief. "If I'm allowed one week of normalcy, I want to ride my bike to school. Like I've been doing."

Rinku and Raven were quick to argue with him, however, Rudrum laughed, "Okay then!" The two suited men stared at Rudrum with wide eyes of discouragement. Only Link looked up at Rudrum hopefully. "Don't worry, team, I got a plan. I was thinking of it while Rinku was talking." Crossing his arms, Rinku glared as Rudrum patted his shoulder. "I mean, your idea was great and all, but my idea... My idea fulfill's His Highness' wish and it's gonna be totally great."

Genuinely curious, Raven asked, "How?"

The hand that was on Rinku's shoulder pulled him even closer to Rudrum. Chuckling, Rudrum poked Rinku's cheek. "Our main man here is gonna be His Highness."

"That's right." Raven caught on easily as Link took a moment, thinking. "That's not half bad."

As Rinku elbowed Rudrum in the gut, Link guessed, "Impersonation?"

"Correct, Your Highness!" Rudrum boomed and grimaced, rubbing his abdomen. "I don't know why Your Highness hasn't noticed, but the team has been exclusively selected with appearances that are most similar to Your Highness."

Link did think that they looked like brothers. It just never occurred to him that they could be his brothers. All dirty-blonde hair barely sweeping their shoulders and sea-colored eyes that were dominant in the Forria family. They were all somewhat around the same height, and it helped that even their voices could be mistaken among each other. Thinking all this, Link questioned, "Why?"

"Assassination, mostly," Raven answered and walked off into Link's room. While Link was questioning the other two if that was a joke, Raven returned quickly holding an extra set of Link's school uniform. Laying that across the sofa, he instructed Rinku, "Rudrum is right. You're the one who looks the closest like His Highness so you're going to be the imposter."

"What?!"

There was nothing else from Rinku as Raven and Rudrum shoved him into a washroom with the uniform. A moment later, Rinku closed the washroom door behind himself, clad in khaki trousers, a white button-down, and a dark blue blazer. He was a few sizes too outgrown for the uniform, however, the others argued that the reporters were too crazed to notice. Link thought that for extra security, he requested Rinku to wear huge sunglasses and a green mouth mask. Rinku could not argue, donning those as well, as he stood near the side door where it was least occupied. Still, there was a bothersome crowd waiting outside the door.

"Are you ready?" whispered Link who slipped his bike beside Rinku.

Silently fuming, Rinku nodded and raised the mask above his nose. The other two shoved the door open so that the crowd could see that Rinku was prepared to bike into the mass. Immediately, a path was formed as Rinku burst into the outside, cycling quickly enough that he was gone in a blink of an eye. As predicted, the reporters and photographers vanished within a minute. The area around his house free of people now, Link whooped triumphantly as he rode Aryll's bike to school. Knowing that these moments were numbered, Link enjoyed the wind whipping back his hair and the usual scenes of his humble neighborhood, all the while, ignoring the sleek vehicle trailing him. Once he made his way to school, he noticed that the gates were open.

The gates were never open once class started.

"Get in!" The tardy guards had posted steel posts on the sides. Behind those posts were another bunch of reporters and photographers yelling for Link. "Mr. Forria, you're going to be in so much trouble after—"

Link pedaled even faster, zooming past the guards. After the gates closed behind him, Link glanced back to witness Raven and Rudrum lunging over the gates. When they safely landed beside Link, Raven commented to Link, "Your Highness's academy needs to build higher walls."

Link couldn't help but laugh, since he believed that as well. But then Link cut off mid-laugh when he realized they were staring at him. As though he should walk to class without another word. The thought occurred to Link that Raven and Rudrum might walk with him to class. The idea of being led to class like a four-year-old again caused Link to grind his head between his heads. The thought did not squeeze out of his mind so he questioned the two, "You're not walking me to class... Are you?"

"Palace guards protocol," Raven answered in one succinct statement.

Immediately, Link was on his knees, grasping at their trouser, "Please! Guys! Please, please—"

This was not part of protocol, therefore Raven was grasping for words, "Your Highness, this is not the behavior—" But then Rudrum patted his shoulder. Intrigued, Raven allowed Rudrum to reply to their superior, "You got it!" Gobsmacked, Raven was about to whack Rudrum atop his head, however, Link's reaction was entirely overwhelming. Tears were gathering in his grateful gaze, and Raven felt a slight guilty if he was to refuse him. He added on, "Protocol mandates that we do not leave Your Highness alone for too long. Your Highness will expect to see us from time to time. That's our only condition that is non-negotiable."

"Deal!" Up and running, Link headed for the safety of his school. "I promise I won't get kidnapped or assassinated or whatever!"

**.**

The inside wasn't as safe as the outside.

There was another mass, but these were of his peers. The good news was the personal space as they stood away from Link. The bad news was that they were all pointing and gasping at their phones or newspapers. The newspapers were the worst as splayed across the front page—large as life and as Link himself who stood with his jaw agape—was a photograph of that very morning, which was of a bed-tousled Link who was the epitome of awkward confusion. He could hear people whisper-laughing about the birds patterned about his legs and the fluffiness of his comforter appearing to swallow him whole. Link wished that it had, so that he didn't have to be in school.

"Hey, Link!" A gaggle of girls surrounded Link, who he faintly recognized as his squad. "Get yourself together!"

Navi and Proxi were on either side of him, and together, they pulled Navi's blazer over his head. Grateful, Link turned to the side as Proxi whispered to him, "It's not a big deal, Link. It'll be old news by tomorrow." The others bobbed their head in agreement, beaming, while finding a silver lining in Link's situation. "And in a few weeks of tomorrows, you'll be the ruler of this kingdom of these laughing losers."

Amused by the wording, Link emitted his own laugh. "That sounds—"

"Nice pants!" Immediately, he ducked into Navi's blazer. "I always heard that the bird is the word!"

Immediately, Link stopped walking and waited for the mockers to have their laugh and pass. Afterward, the girls heard Link mumble, "Ladies..." Then he grabbed two girls on either side of him as he rushed down the hall, wailing, "I'm dead! Someone shoot me! Let's die togetheeeeeeer!"

"Your Highness, if you're having suicidal thoughts, we will have to alert the palace! It's against protocol! Your Highness!"

"ARGRAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Witnessing his meltdown, the girls felt a sort of sympathy for Link when they tallied the times they would hear his strangled screech. It didn't help that the other students were giggling and snickering at the very sight of him, and that teachers were lecturing him that becoming the Crown Prince did not excuse his unpunctuality and his slacking schoolwork. Because of Link's unusually terrible day, they arranged a surprise during lunchtime.

"Misses Nab—"

"Over here, Sprouts!" Navi's and Proxi's butler-in-training made his way over to their table. After settling down the bags of Set-N-Out , he left after hearing the girls' gratitude. Even though Link had attended the academy for almost four years, he could never comprehend how the wealthier students would send their servants to deliver home-cooked lunches or to purchase the meals from high-class restaurants. The girls were a sort of exception to purchase high-class fast food. "Hey, Link, look." Looking down, Link opened his bag to reveal his favorite deluxe cheeseburger. "Just a little pick-you-up."

The plan worked as Link grinned. "My heroines."

As he was about to take his first bite, there was a collective of boisterous bellows behind him. Without looking, Link already knew who they were, and he prayed that they weren't. But prayers were no use when one of them had Link in a headlock as another dragged his chair into the center of the dining hall, crowding around him instantly. The girls were clicking their tongue in distaste while the majority of Link's sword fighting team were furiously waving newspaper's first page around him.

"Captain! Captain Forria!" they crowed, repeatedly punching his shoulder, one after another. "Congrats, Capt.!"

Link's expression was completely blank and focused on the untouched cheeseburger ten feet away.

"The princess, man, ya bagged Princess motherfuckin' Zelda of Hyrule! We _live_ in Hyrule!" A round of husky laughter sounded from the boyish men who were waving the newspaper around Link. His expression did not change. Especially when a junior member forced himself before Link and grinned boyishly with a newspaper in his fist. "Captain, can you sign mine? I need't prove my Kakariko mates that—"

"Captain, sign mine first!"

"Hold up, I called dibs first!"

"Captain, don't listen to—"

"BRING BACK _THE_ QUEEN!" The sword fighting team dimmed in response as they turned to a separate crowd who all wore purple sashes across their chest. Supposedly, the leader of them was pumping his fist in the air as he roared into a megaphone, "Bring Her Highness back!"

Behind the megaphone man, the followers repeated, "Bring back the Queen! Bring Her Highness back! Bring Her Highness back!"

"Zelda has her own fanclub?" Link asked himself. Then, he groaned, "_Oh, gods_—"

"Link Forria, you must kill yourself!" Immediately, he looked up with his forehead furrowed and his jaw lowered in disbelief. He still couldn't believe them as the followers repeated, "Link Forria, kill yourself! Kill yourself! Kill yourself!"

"Hey!" The junior member strode up front and pointed at the leader. "That's called bullying, assholes!"

"Hah!" The leader of the Princess Zelda fanclub was undaunted as he broke into loud laughter. The followers behind him joined him as though he revealed the world's greatest joke. They suddenly stopped as the leader spoke through the megaphone, "We will get Princess Zelda back at all costs! Her Highness does not want to be wed, and certainly not to some low-born nobody who wears children's prints in his sleep—"

"Don't talk about our captain like that or I'll punch your—" The junior member was cut off as the sword fighting co-captain silenced him with a single motion. "Shit, sorry, Darek, I wasn't gonna hurt him, I swear."

The sword fighting co-captain only smiled. As the junior member stepped back, Darek stepped forward with his hands clasped behind his back. In a quick glance, he told Link, "I'll handle this, Captain." Link was about to argue for himself, but Darek turned back to the zealous fanclub with bared teeth. "I hope you're all aware that our academy does not condone any sort of bullying?"

Apathetic, the leader scoffed in his face. "We will not condone this marriage when we're all aware that Princess Zelda intends to rule this country, alone. Her Royal Highness has no need for a weight to drag Her Highness down when Her Highness intends to move this country for—"

"You do not know our captain," Darek interjected. The sword fighting members bellowed in strength, and Link sacrificed one more yearning glance at his deluxe cheeseburger. "You say that he is low-born and that he is a nobody, but that does not change that he is our captain." Again, the members were shouting to support their co-captain's statement, and at this point, Link was feeling somewhat touched himself. "Sure, Captain sleeps in class when he thinks no one's looking and, sure, he has the worst memory in Hyrule, to the point of forgetting the regionals that we were an hour late—" In response, Link had buried his head in his hands with the intent to disappear. "—but! But he is our captain who had worked us to the bone! He pushes us to our limits to prove our best with the intention to triumph. And our captain has not failed when we emerged from the regionals in victory."

The whooping of the sword fighting team was much louder than the moment they won the regionals. But it wasn't as loud as the siren sound that emitted from the fan-club leader's megaphone. After enveloping the room with disgruntled groans, the leader was about to retort something snarky if Darek hadn't beat him to it. "So while our captain does not have the standing of your precious Princess Zelda, we believe that he does have mentality to rival hers."

Scoffing, the leader snapped, "Disgusting." With the megaphone before his mouth again, he stated, "Your captain will never be worthy for the princess." Darek only smirked, white teeth bared, and reveled in the sound of his teammates laughing. Then the fanclub was laughing as the leader added on, "Your captain will die a dog's death like the peasant he is."

At that, Darek looked back at the sword fighting team***** and laughed, "Let's kick their ass."

"That's right! You insult our captain's honor, then you insult our honor!" Jumping beside Darek, the junior member pointed at the opposing group and bellowed, "Your ass is grass!"

"Hey, hold on a—" Link was cut off as his teammates shoved his chair to the side. His eyes widened when he witnessed the majority rolling back their shoulders and cracking the bones in their knuckles. The fanclub members were deterred when the majority of their group were not in athletics, so they stood, frozen to the spot. Seeing that, Link attempted to pull back a few of his members. "Guys! HEy! Listen to me—"

"_What is going on here?!_"

Hearing their savior, the fanclub members bowed their heads all at once. "Your Royal Highness!"

Zelda was in no mood for their excuses. There was only one person that she was searching for. And she found him crouching behind two grinning members who were looking anywhere but their captain. A silence overshadowing the dining hall, all eyes were on the princess as she made her way over to her fiancé. However, she did not stop, rather she slowed her pace momentarily, before continuing into an adjacent hallway.

Seeing no way out, Link stood onto his feet, smiled weakly at his teammates, before walking in Zelda's direction.

Of course, ninety-nine percent of the dining hall occupants scraped back their chairs and followed Link. Looking back, he thought that there was a sea of students who barely kept their distance away from him. And Link was trying to keep his distance from Princess Zelda who hadn't even checked to see if he followed. There was no need for her to worry as she finally turned into a vacant classroom. After Link slipped in with her, Zelda slammed the door shut and flicked on the lock switch. Wide-eyed, Link watched quietly as the princess leaned against the teacher's front desk with her arms crossed and her sharp stare on him.

Link's impulsive reaction was to blurt, "I think I took the wrong turn."

As he helplessly glanced at the door, the princess scoffed and said, "Where are you going? I think you owe me a talk, you and I." Link said nothing, only flickering his desperate stare at the door. "I thought that the Forria family would have some integrity to affiliate with His Majesty. However I didn't know that you were so loose with your promises."

"What?" Blinking, Link finally met her cold countenance. "Promise?"

The princess simply sighed, surprisingly calm. Link thought this was only the calm before a storm. "I suppose I shouldn't assume the best of you. Of course, you couldn't keep a simple promise."

"I-I—" The memory of promising to the princess was suddenly apparent in Link's thoughts when he jolted forward, pleading, "I didn't mean to lie to you, I mean I was totally going to say no, but something came up, and I... I realized saying yes was the easiest answer."

"How half-witted of you!" Strangely enough, the princess lifted her hand to cover her sardonic laugh. Link didn't know how to react as Zelda brushed back her hair, scoffs of disbelief passing her lips. "Saying yes will invite the most complicated of problems. You have no idea what is to come, don't you? Hmm, I really don't want your stupidity to interfere with my life."

Silent, Link did not back down his sober stare. He listened to her say, "I'm assuming you're preparing already?"

He furrowed his forehead, thinking. "Preparing for what?"

"The preparations to enter the palace," Zelda answered, lifting a long lock of her hair. As though that lock was much more fascinating than Link, she continued speaking with her eyes elsewhere, "I heard the Queen gave you a week. You're aware that those days will pass quickly. Ezlo still has to check your place in due time." Link was aware of that, and shrugged as though he didn't. "Ezlo has so much to teach you for the Crown Prince's education. I don't know if you can cope with it."

The look on Link's face was changing, and Zelda was then interested by that change. Her voice dimming to a murmur, she commented, "What is with your expression?"

In response, he tilted his head downward.

Scoffing, Zelda looked away as well. "I'm still furious with you, but not as much." That had taken the tension from Link's shoulders, however, he stiffened when he heard her say, "It doesn't matter to me anymore, so I don't care. Since this was your decision, you should be perfectly prepared, because—" In one single motion, Zelda was standing before Link with her hand twisting into his necktie, therefore forcing his face forward. "—_this is not a joke_."

Then she released him and moved to leave. A moment passed when Link was driven into silence, before he called, "Hey, princess!"

She actually stopped. "What?"

He had no idea what to say. "Wha-What if I-I just... quit?"

She smiled, giving Link the smallest of assurance. "You're so funny. You don't seem to know anything. Do you really think you can back out now? You're already caught up in this mess by your own hands." Despite the twisting in Link's gut, he still stood and felt the gravity of her harsh truths. "You did this to yourself. Because this was you, I don't care what happens to you so that's why I'm marrying you." He thought it was somewhat elementary to have his feelings, however, it felt more like Zelda had physically carved each word into his skin. "It was your choice to join me in my overpriced prison. I hope you don't expect to call the palace anything akin to familiarity, since you're to leave your real home behind." Smiling still, Zelda clasped her hands together although her knuckles were white. "So. Welcome, Link Forria."

**.**

Link didn't feel like staying in school any longer.

His next period was the only class he shared with Zelda. Since that was completely out of the question, he requested the suited posse to return to the orphanage, however, skipping class was against protocol as well. Still, his guards were feeling somewhat lenient and allowed Link to hide in the study hall for the duration of this period. With everyone gossiping heatedly about him, Link thought that silence was a privilege now that he was finally listening to the beauty of absolutely nothing.

While reading a Hyrulean novel for the class he was currently skipping, Link heard a student speak under her soft breath, which thankfully wasn't about him. Rising onto his feet, Link left his corner of the study hall, and peeked behind an unidentified sculpture. At once, Link freaked, recognizing the student as the princess. But then he remembered that she would had undoubtedly attended class.

He didn't notice that the student spotted him.

"Link? Link Forria?"

Afraid, he slunk behind the sculpture.

"It is you, Link?" She wandered to Link's hiding space, and stopped short. "You don't remember me?"

Link thought that much was obvious when he was terrible with remembering newcomers. However, he also thought it was impossible to forgot a student who matched Princess Zelda's appearance. Still, that did nothing for his memory which remained blank the more he stared at the princess look-alike. "Uhhh," he started, squinting his stare. "Sorry."

When she laughed, there was no sardonic humor laced in her voice. "It is alright, Link." Tucking back her hair, the student re-introduced herself, "I'm Poppy."

_Poppy! _Link remembered, his gaze lighting up. "Oh, Poppy! I ran into you the other day!"

Soft, she laughed. "Yes, that is me."

"Oh man, oh man, I'm sorry, I'm just the worst—" He cut off his own sentence as he remembered something else of more significance. "Hey, I said I owe you a school tour, right?"

But she shook her head. "That is alright." Even though Poppy was denying his offer, Link saw her light of eagerness. With her smiled dimmed, she listed off her excuses, "I know where my classes are located. And you must be busy with your schoolwork. Ah, I interrupted you to chat with me. I should not bother you any longer."

A small smile lined Link's mouth as he chuckled. "You didn't have the full Forria experience with me as your personal guide!" At once, Poppy opened her mouth to support Link's need to study, however, Link had already gathered his schoolbag and started for the study hall exit. "Don't worry, you're not bothering me at all! I could use the time to re-memorize this place anyway."

"Well..." Poppy murmured.

There was no further opposition from her when Link waved her out of the study hall. From their impromptu tour, Link had learned that Poppy was a transfer student from Gerudo Desert and that she wanted to spend her last school year in a more diverse setting. For a dainty, almost fragile, young lady, Poppy admitted that she was an athletics student, which succeeded to spark Link's interest.

"Athletics, huh?" Link wondered. "Which sport?"

Beaming, Poppy raised her arms and folded her fingers together. "Volleyball."

"Really?" Link attempted to mirror her stance, and leveled his arms higher as though bouncing an imaginary ball. "I don't think I've ever played that before."

Her arms now separated, Poppy raised her arms before her face to pass the ball to Link. "I can teach you if you would like to." In response, Link was beaming at the prospect of learning a new sport. "I have never taught how to volleyball before, but I believe you could become an professional player with my guidance."

"Nice!" Link raised his hand for a hand-five, which Poppy returned after a puzzled moment. "That would be so much fun! I should tell the girls too... Hey, you don't mind if I bring my friends, right?"

Poppy was silent, before smiling. "They are welcome to learn!"

Just as Link was to thank Poppy relentlessly, the bell interrupted for fifth period. At that, Link had to leave for sword fighting time. With a small sigh, he gave a sincere smile to Poppy and patted her shoulder. "Hey, thanks for today. It was nice talking to you, but I'm heading for Gymnasium A." Because of Link, Poppy knew that the sword fighting practice was located opposite of the volleyball practice. "I'll stop by the volleyball courts when I can!"

"Wait."

Link was in the middle of turning away. "Yeah?"

"Don't forgot this."

His jaw dropping, Link realized he was never wearing his name-tag the whole time. Thanking her sheepishly, Link picked up the item from her palm and stopped short as it was within his fingers. Shaking his head with wide eyes, Link rubbed his temple as Poppy was the one leaving, and she called out her goodbye to him, "See you, Link."

This time, the image was much more vivid in Link's eyes as a young girl—a princess, she must be—turned to him suddenly with tears in her eyes, and he swore he heard her say clear as day—

_"Save me, Link."_

**.**

** . .**

**. . .**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**3/13/2015 EDIT: much better now :)))**

**next time Link will move out of the Forria family and into the royal's. Link also finds that crown prince training is hard, but not as hard as convincing your future wife to get along after completely pissing her off.  
**

**thanks to: **

**cookiebee:** haha a drama &amp; loz fan! jsyk, this story **is **undoubtedly based from Princess Hours. rn, I'm watching It's Okay, It's Love; I Need Romance 3; and a Taiwanese drama called Love Keeps Going. btw... the girl who looks like Zelda... das Yul haha. tysm for reviewing from chpt.1 you're amazing ❤

**Doodle Ladle:** nope, u read it however u want to. imo, Zelda is supposed to be "mean," but reasons b/c of that will come up eventually. tysm for reviewing from chpt.1 too you're a star ❤

**MegSkoomaPirate:** your prediction was right haha ❤

**TurtleCopter: **you're back! your prediction was right too lol ❤

**ShadowNinja1011:** pls don't hurt urself haha ❤

**Guest: **ty i love u ❤

**Zelinklova123:** ty i adore u but not like miley ha ❤

**RageMuffinz: **nope! this is not an unrequited zelink story. there is unrequited love though... Zelda is going to want to kill Link so many times. sorry, Link. ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	5. ya'know

**5**

**. . .**

**. . **

**. **

Zelda was right to Link's disappointment. It hadn't occurred to him that she could understand his struggle. One week had passed by much faster than he thought.

He stood in the doorway of the orphanage as all eight crying children wrapped their arms around some part of him, even Mido. The homesickness was already consuming him that he bent down and allowed the children to clench their tiny fists into his royal suit, and to wipe their tears and snot onto the custom-spun wool. Even after he stood back up, Link was swallowing the urge to cry as Aryll ran into her older brother and hugged him goodbye, squishing a few children between them. Underneath the squeals, Link was able to hear her mumble a sort of an apology for calling him a crybaby. Link didn't understand why she'd apologize for that particularly, until his little sister retracted while swiping the back of her hands across her eyes. Lastly, the children all had to follow after Aryll when their grandmother painstakingly made her way before him.

When she hugged him, she whispered, "I wish it didn't come to this."

Her wispy hair against his cheek, Link strained to smile. "I'll call you whenever I can, okay, Grandma?"

"Your Highness!" Raven called out from behind the front door. "It's time to leave!"

Just for one more moment, Link spent to memorize his grandmother's soft scent. "Your Highness!" With clenched teeth, he reluctantly removed himself from her and turned to the door. "We have to leave now, Your Highness!" His fingers held the doorknob tightly, before he opened to the outside. "Your Highness, stay behind!"

This time, the reporters have forced their way to Link's front door. He thought he could even see several live news anchors reporting from his front lawn. Ahead of time, Rinku advised him to keep his gaze down as he and the others would direct him to the car. Link followed his advice, attempting not to be bothered by the multitude of voices calling his name and the blinding flashes of the cameras. The walk to the car would have taken under three minutes, but in this case, Link counted that it took them ten.

"Good Goddesses," Rinku groaned, taking the driver's side. "We need more people on our team."

But Link remembered how the suited posse had to camp out at his house for the whole week. "Please don't."

"Your Highness." An aggravated sound emitted from Rinku's throat. "Your Highness is quite the same as Her Highness."

Blinking, Link didn't know how he could ever relate to Princess Zelda. That would soon change as the car finally parked before the main Hyrulean castle. After Link stepped out of the vehicle, a sinking feeling settled in his gut. With a bit of pressure, his hand rubbed his abdomen as Rudrum slipped beside him.

"Your Highness," he started.

Link turned, curious. "Yeah?"

As Rinku and Raven gathered Link's luggage from the trunk, Rudrum skipped to the castle's front and swept his arms in a grand gesture. His entire face lit up with a beaming grin as he declared, "Welcome home!"

**.**

"Your Highness!"

Already, Link was becoming accustomed to hearing that instead of his real name. He even looked expectantly as Ezlo ducked his head in respect, which Link counted the twelfth person to do so. Link didn't exactly know understand why everyone was quick to honor him when he was technically a regular person, just the same as the rest of them. Furrowing his forehead, Link thought that he would even be considered a lower class than Ezlo who was one of the King's closet confidants.

"Your Highness has not settled down yet?" Link nodded, but thought that couldn't been more obvious as the suited posse holding his luggage (who had refused Link's help to carry his own belongings). "This is a perfect timing then! Follow me and we will begin immediately."

While Ezlo was rambling about the castle's history of architecture, Link was led to a room that was not as grand as he thought. He considered that a blessing when he already tired of the opulence that not only decorated the palace, but also stuffed the very air he breathed. Groaning, Link plopped backwards onto the center poster bed and closed his eyes. He heard the shuffling of the suited posse leaving the room, the royal housekeeping entering, and then Ezlo calling his name, no, calling for His Highness.

Barely opening his eyes, Link answered, "Yes, Ezlo?"

"Is this sufficient enough for Your Highness?" Link closed his eyes again and nodded. His hands folded together, Ezlo proclaimed, "It is time for the Crown Prince Education."

"What...?"

It wasn't even five minutes later when Link was sitting in the official Crown Prince's Royal Study, gobsmacked. The room was about twice as spacious as his bedroom, and Link was afraid to touch anything for it all just screamed five-figures-expensive. The very chair and desk he was using appeared to be the most extortionate items in the entire room. Intricate carvings furnished the glazed wood and, strangely enough, Link wondered why his desk smelled like cherries. As he bent down to scrutinize the sleek surface, Ezlo entered the room with the suited posse behind him, causing Link to straighten.

His jaw dropped.

One by one, the suited posse forwarded Link's desk and dropped a pile of yellow-paged books that looked like they were to fall apart by the tiniest touch. Then the men exited the room, and returned with another armful. Link thanked the Goddesses that it was only two trips, till Ezlo stated, "There is much more to learn, however, we will begin with the basics."

Six stacks crowded his desk, blocking Link's view of Ezlo. Link forced himself not to imagine the rest awaiting him as he pulled off the top book from the first stack. The thick volume had a title across the cover, Link reading as _Hyrulean Kings, _which was simple enough to him. Until he learned that the entire book was simply an incredibly long record of every single detail they had on the previous kings within three decades. His mouth could not stop gaping, even after he slammed the book shut and banged his forehead against it.

"Hyrulean history is of utmost importance," Ezlo explained, and wrote _History _across the front chalkboard. "Especially that of Your Highness' predecessors. Your Highness must know what they had done right for Hyrule, and what they had done wrong for Hyrule." When Link lifted his head, he gave a short nod in attention, before Ezlo continued. "The past of Your Highness' predecessors includes the history of the monarchy's relations to their people, to their allies, and to their enemies. Revolutions, alliances, wars, and such are all vital knowledge for Your Highness."

His index finger pressing against his temple, Link sighed. "Yeah, I'll learn."

"You must learn," Ezlo corrected. A furrowed formed in Link's forehead as Ezlo turned and wrote, _Law. _Swallowing a great groan, Link swiped a book from the second pile which some title that must had been associated with the subject. At that moment, Ezlo explained in greater detail, "What keeps Hyrule together is Hyrulean law, Your Highness. The written rules are what keeps the Hyruleans in line as well as Hyrule's neighboring countries. Most of which that dominates the council meetings are complications with our law or foreign law. Your Highness must be very studious with this subject."

Link didn't think he had much of a choice when that stack was obviously the thickest. However, after the first and second subjects, Link noticed that the rest were somewhat shorter, and read that the third stack was about language.

"All the members of the Royal Family must know how to speak Ancient Hylian. It is a dead language in our times, however, Ancient Hylian is the foundation of the systematic communication we use today. Your Highness appears to be daunted by this, but fear not." A moment passed as Ezlo bowed his head, thinking fondly. "Prince Daltus was able to master Ancient Hylian within a few years, and I will personally request of his knowledge when he returns from abroad."

In the back of his mind, Link remembered glancing past pictures of Princess Zelda and her little brother. The image of the younger sibling escaped him, however, he simply shrugged that off as he pushed the third stack to the side. Accidentally, Link had elbowed the fourth which toppled books that displayed titles along the lines of mannerisms.

"Of course, Your Highness is aware that he must be presentable at all times. While I will personally tutor Your Highness on Hyrulean History and Law, the palace guards have their obligations to teach Your Highness proper conduct. This is a more of an open field where Your Highness will be taught to formalize and expand the way Your Highness speak and write, but also where Your Highness will be taught how to properly mount a horse." At that, Link smiled since he was already fond of horseback riding. "In this field, Your Highness will additionally be taught traditional literature and music." Just hearing about literature and music cause Link to sniffle, resisting the urge to cry. "I have heard that Your Highness is quite the expert with the sword and the bow?"

"Yeah." Link brightened, grinning. "My grandpa taught me how to do that."

As Ezlo wrote _Mannerisms _across the board, he nodded. "As expected of the sword-master's grandson."

Mannerisms covered the fourth stack, so Link shoved aside to make room for the last two. He caught one keyword of the book's title and immediately he scraped his chair back, groaning. It didn't help that Ezlo stated his findings aloud for him, "Your Highness needs to cover these immediately. The first of which is the procedures for the royal wedding." Hearing that particular word aloud, Link ducked his head underneath and rubbed both sides of his temple. "The wedding for the Crown Princess and future Crown Prince certainly contrasts with those of the people. This is a grand occasion of a millennium. Your Highness' union with her Her Highness will represent as the union between the Royal Family and the people. Your Highness must follow through this marriage ceremony according to royal protocol."

His eyes squeezed shut, Link groaned, "Please don't say protocol."

"I will avoid stating such." A small smile lit Ezlo's expression as he turned to write the final subjects, _Procedures. _"You must know the procedure for both the ceremony and the coronation."

Then Link looked up, blinking with narrowed eyes. "Coronation?"

"Your Highness' Crown Prince Coronation."

Link sighed. "Right."

Saying nothing else, Ezlo folded his fingers together as he walked his way before Link. With slow precision, the elder member pulled a chair before the desk and pulled a quill and inkwell from inside his robe. Wide-eyed, Link accepted the quill and inkwell from Ezlo who simply stated, "Let us begin."

**.**

Link could not stand a moment more.

It had only been a few hours into learning the wedding procedure that Link was convinced the Royal Family back then were insane. Why was there so many things to do? Why did they have to hold ceremonies at three different palaces before moving to the temple for the actual marriage? Why was it an actual thing to tie the bride's and groom's hands together for the entire ceremony? Which moron thought that _wouldn't_ be awkward?!

His patience running thin, Link excused himself to the restroom. He met a small obstacle with the suited posse waiting outside the door, but thankfully, they were convinced that Link could make it to the restroom alone. Unbeknownst to them, Link rushed out of their sight and to the nearest window. After prying it open, he lunged from the windowsill, and thanked the Goddesses that he jumped from the first floor. Then there was no part three. Grimacing, Link didn't actually think he'd make it to this point, and decided to trust his impulses. In fact, his impulses were fairly trustworthy after playing with the orphanage children in a variety of interactive games. Particularly, hide-and-seek had become of use as Link usually found somewhere to cram himself into after a thousand games within the same setting.

But this was the palace, and within the largest property in Hyrule, Link saw a plenitude of hiding possibilities.

Five minutes later, Link was laughing to himself as he finally found his safe haven. He had to crawl underneath two hedges, and then he kicked the lowest branches so that they were ground-cover again. Behind the hedges was the granite, gray wall, which Link checked to have no windows. The area between the wall and hedges was barely long enough for Link's body, however if he laid horizontally, Link had enough space to stretch his legs. Therefore Link reclined onto the grass and rested his head onto his arms. Above, he could only see the same sky he had been seeing, however, this view seemed more like a blessing than normalcy.

His eyes closed, Link wondered if his grandfather could see him now.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

The cries of the suited posse lead to Link rolling onto his side and pressing flush against the wall. A surge of relief shot through Link when he heard the suited posse rushing past the hedges without a pause. Still, a slight of guilt pressured him to sit up and hear their calls for him rise in volume. They must had been searching desperately for him since Link was to be a member of the Royal Family. This was reason enough to induce Link's return.

Fumbling out of the hedges, Link rolled straight into Ezlo.

"Your Highness!" he cried, helping Link to a stand. Carefully, he patted Link's smudged shirt with his bare hands. "Your Highness, are you unharmed? Shall I fetch the Royal Physician?"

"No, it's fine." He shrugged. "I'm alright."

"Your Highness!" Turning, Link lifted his stare over to the suited posse who all appeared out-of-breath. "Your Highness, we were looking all over the palace for you!"

At once, Link was apologizing, however lazily, "Sorry, I just—"

"What in Hyrule do you think you're doing!?" By his tone of voice, Link winced and ducked his head before Ezlo. He honestly did not expect to be reprimanded as terrifying as Ezlo had changed to be. However, his face was free of any angry creases, and his professional posture all the same. "You immature fools!"

His words low, Link mumbled, "It's my fa—"

"I specifically instructed you to watch over His Highness at all times!"

Link's head snapped up to see that Ezlo was not yelling at him, but at Rinku, Raven, and Rudrum. It was quite a sight as they had formed a line of shame, shoulder-to-shoulder, with their heads bowed, and they continued to lower themselves as Ezlo further berated them, "But look at what happened! What if His Highness had been involved with a dangerous situation? Do you think the palace is your playground?!"

Simultaneously, the suited posse stated, "We apologize for our faults."

In disbelief, Link rushed to their defenses by crying out, "But it's not their fault! It's mine! It's all my fault!"

Undeterred, Ezlo faced Link with an emotionless expression. "Of course it is not your fault, Your Highness. None of this is." His discomposure darkening, Ezlo turned to the suited posse who were bent at their backs before Ezlo. "Have you all failed to remember who he is? I had hoped you are all aware that he is our future Crown Prince of Hyrule." There was no response from them because Ezlo had not expected one. "Are you to continue committing your dangerous blunders?"

"We cannot, Sir Ezlo."

But Ezlo released a heavy sigh. "I will make certain of it." A robed arm pointed away from Link. "You are to kneel with your hands up in the courtyard and speak to no one. Do move an inch unless I instructed you such. Go." Without a word, the suited posse straightened their backs and began to stride calmly for a group of men scolded like children. Link could not bring himself to believe that his palace guards were served an unwarranted berating on his behalf. His shoulders suddenly heavy, Link closed his mouth in silence as they had done.

His voice lighter, Ezlo said to Link, "Shall Your Highness return to the lessons?"

**.**

"Why are Link's guards just sitting there?"

Impa looked back, indeed seeing three men on their knees with their arms raised in the air and their blonde heads bowed. It was apparent that they had sat in the sun for a few hours as perspiration dripped from their temple to their chin. Turning back to her, Impa said, "They are in the middle of their punishment."

Mirroring her, Zelda chanced another glance and pursed her lips together as she faced ahead. "Their punishment? The palace guards ever don't receive punishment." A moment later, the princess rolled her eyes as she realized aloud, "I don't believe it. Did Link screw up already?" Zelda received a short nod in response. Her bow raised, she laughed. "You used to do the same to me when I was a naive, little girl."

As Zelda nocked an arrow, Impa tugged on the reins of the princess' horse. "Do you remember what you learned?"

"Of course." Zelda breathed out slowly, closing one eye. "That my actions will always affect my people."

As soon as Impa released the reins, Zelda urged her horse forward and headed for a fenced-in, rectangular area. Inside were several posts of straw-filled upper bodies and on one side, there were four targets positioned upon the fence. With her one eye open, the princess released a quick breath for every moment her arrow flew from her fingers, and into the straw-filled bodies. Split moments passed before Zelda had pierced the targets as well, from the farthest and last side. Once she yanked her horse to a stop, the princess checked that her arrows had met their marks as they were buried in the "hearts" of the straw posts and three out of four arrows flew into the bulls-eye. Satisfied, Zelda directed her horse toward Impa who clapped twice and commented, "Very well done, Zelda."

She beamed. But that soon disappeared as the princess heard from behind, "Princess Zelda."

Zelda started at the sound of her mother's voice. The Queen of Hyrule did not meet Zelda at random times, therefore Zelda's posture was tense within her presence. She hesitated before she remembered that it was mandatory that she lower herself from her horse so that she could bow before her. "Good day, Your Majesty."

"Good day," the Queen repeated, standing before her daughter with an entourage of handmaidens. A surreptitious frown lined Zelda's lips as she fiddled with the bow behind her back. By then, the Queen was fixated upon the horse and the bow, before she spoke of that matter, "Princess, have you forgotten my words of the past?" Zelda looked away, saying nothing. "Princess Zelda, you know that this is against the Crown Princess protocol."

But Zelda defended her actions, reaching for her stallion. "Horseback riding is not against protocol."

Because Zelda's statement was true, the Queen allowed her to have the horse, but not the weapon. She shared one look with Impa who was required to strip the princess of her bow and quiver. As much as Zelda wanted to, she could not beg her guardian to disobey the Queen of Hyrule. Her teeth holding her tongue, the princess forced herself to hand her archery equipment over to Impa and to say nothing as long as the Queen was speaking.

"You will cease your horseback archery and all archery from this moment onwards." There was no verbal response from Zelda. "Do I make myself clear, Princess?"

Her voice audible, but melodramatic, Zelda affirmed, "Crystal clear, Your Majesty."

A slow sigh escaped the Queen when she saw the princess with her knitted eyebrows; a sign that she was fighting both fury and frustration. The Queen was aware she appeared the enemy to Zelda. If that was what portrait her daughter had painted of herself, the Queen was willing to sacrifice. Still, she attempted to make amends. Turning slowly around, the Queen ordered, "Follow me, Princess Zelda."

Moments later, they were seated within an outside gazebo with cups of tea before them. After practicing archery, Zelda was parched and downed quickly at her first cup and second. As a maid poured her third, the Queen shook her head. "Princess, you must slow down." There was no other option, but to slow down, else she never hear the end of her. "I have a matter to discuss with you."

"My marriage to the halfwit who sent his guards to public humiliation?"

Again, the Queen was reproaching her daughter. "I thought we reached an agreement where you will be compliant?"

Zelda paused, sipping her third teacup. "I call him as I see him, Your Majesty."

Moments passed before the Queen thought it was suitable to say, "This concerns Poppy." The princess' expression remained the same, although she had not expected this topic. "I am aware that she is the daughter of the Gerudo tribes leader, and we must treat her with utmost respect, however." During her pause, Zelda reached for a confectionery, tea cake which the Queen patted her hand away. In her thoughts, Zelda was cursing vehemently that she was to be a bride in due time. "But from now on, you must be aware of Poppy whenever you meet her."

Sniffing, Zelda reached for a plump grape instead. "What does Your Majesty mean by that?"

After Zelda chewed thoroughly, the Queen ceased her observation and sighed. "We all have our suspicions, Princess Zelda. But I am the slightest uncertain with the reason for Poppy's visit at this time." Since Zelda was chewing on a second grape, the Queen spelled it aloud for her. "It perturbs me that they have chosen a similar timing to when you are about to be married. It cannot be mere coincidence, Princess Zelda."

"Your Majesty is the slightest paranoid, if I may be so brazen." Her statement passed by with no response when the Queen appeared to be consumed with her own thoughts, however, Zelda still shared her thoughts aloud, "Poppy had informed me herself that she wished to experience a Hyrulean academy rather than the underdeveloped education of the desert. She is in her final year of school, therefore the Gerudo leader had reason to accept her request and sent her to the academy I recommended. Is she not allowed to join me?"

"I have no issue with that, Crown Princess. Nonetheless." Identical to her daughter, the Queen's eyebrows knitting together with worry, and she lowered her gaze into the reflection of her teacup. "If you can heed my precautions with absolute trust, then Princess Zelda, you must be careful with the desert's daughter, Poppy."

**.**

Whenever Link remembered how he couldn't stand Crown Prince training the first day, he laughed at himself.

Several weeks had gone by agonizingly slow with Crown Prince training being the brunt of it. Ezlo was right when he started that there was so much to learn. In addition, he was in no way excused from his academic education, which included both schoolwork and sword fighting practice. He wondered how Princess Zelda organized her life, and he wanted to ask, however, she didn't appear to have any desire to speak with him on either academy grounds or palace grounds. Link wished he had the time again to speak with the girls, but all he could manage was Oil Painting class and a few, measly texts whenever he had his studying breaks. Any free time Link had, he spent those moments talking with his grandmother and Aryll and the children who all shared a few minutes to talk with him. Then Link would hang up with a dreadful weight in his stomach, and crack open the next, agonizing volume of such and such.

Link had to practically force himself to study because if he didn't, Ezlo would send the palace guards back to the courtyard. Twenty-nine times, Link had screwed up, and there were several incidents where the guards were sent twice in one day. Each time, Link wanted to stop them, to grovel at their feet, and to apologize profusely all because he wasn't smart enough.

But after these past demanding weeks, he was exhausted.

"Your Highness?" Ezlo sat across from Link, and tapped the desk with a paperweight. "Your Highness, are you feeling well?"

As much as Link wanted to, his eyes would not open. "Just a little tired." He spent another moment with his eyes closed, before he remembered the guards would be punished any second now. Totally traumatized, Link snapped his head upward and confirmed that the guards were writing on the chalkboard, talking amongst themselves. A little laugh escaped him as Link said to Ezlo, "What was the question?"

Ezlo narrowed his stare. "Are you feeling well?"

Link bobbed his head, although slowly. "The best."

"Your Highness, there is nothing wrong with—"

He shook his head. "What was the question before that?"

A moment passed as Ezlo watched his sleepy-eyed student, before he repeated his question, "What is the etiquette that Your Highness will execute for the Royal Wedding?"

"The wedding?" repeated Link, suddenly queasy. He didn't remember the wedding procedures. How could he when he didn't the time? "You mean the wedding wedding? Well, of course, for the real deal you first do the Royal thing with the priest. And then the Crown Princess and I stand there, right next to each other, and the priest is in front—"

"This isn't working," Ezlo interjected, tugging at his beard. To Link's horror, he turned to the suited posse who were already making their way to the door. However, Ezlo stopped them, only to order Rinku to lift a thick stack of Link's books. As Raven and Rudrum were in the middle of bearing their own, Ezlo tapped the desk and instructed them, "Carry those high above your heads. Do not drop them."

"Yes, Sir Ezlo." As always, the suited posse were quick to obey him, but Link caught the surreptitious grimaces on both Raven's and Rudrum's expressions. "We will take our leave now."

But Link shot onto a stand, crying out, "You can't!"

The suited posse were still when Ezlo directed his hard stare onto them while saying, "I gave specific orders that there shall not be any mistakes. What are you doing? Leave as you said you were!" There was no room for defiance as the suited posse immediately headed back on track to their punishment. The guilt on Link's face heightening, Ezlo continued to berate them, "How dare you disregard the Palace's laws and regulations? Is it your intentions to discredit the Royal—"

"Hold on!" A flash of green passed Ezlo's sight as Link hurried over to the suited posse. To the posse's surprise, Link removed their books and carried them himself to his desk. After dropping the combined stacks, he took his seat with a small smile. "I think I remember now!"

Opposite Link, Ezlo took his seat as well. "The time is yours, Your Highness."

Honestly, Link did not want to resort to this, but he knew there weren't any other option. His stare skyward, Link rolled down the sleeves of his dress shirt and commented aloud, "Man, is it hot in here or is it just me?"

"Shall I lower the heat, Your Highness?"

"Nah, it's fine." His stare lowering, Link snapped his fingers and lowered his left elbow onto the desk's surface. "Oh, that's right!" Behind the combined stacks, Ezlo had a limited view of Link who was staring intensely at the cheat sheet he had written on his wrist down to his forearm. "After the three ceremonies, the Crown Princess and I will receive a blessing from the Goddesses by the priest's power. This will take place outside the temple doors, before we move inside for the official marriage. The priest will lecture us of our duties as husband and wife, and as future king and queen. He will also overhear our promises to each other and to our kingdom. Then the King of Hyrule will bestow my rank and title as Prince Link of Hyrule and as the husband of Crown Princess Zelda. After I have accepted my confer, the priest will officiate our marriage with the exchange of the ceremonial drink and the release of the ceremonial hawk. Our main procedure is to join the hourglass together at the end." There was a moment when Link had to remember if he brought his hourglass half, however, he had to check with that afterward. "Then we'll ride through the streets of Castle Town to the main Hyrulean castle where the reception will be held for us." A pause followed while Link hurriedly hid both his arms under the desk. "That should be the end of the wedding ceremony."

The suited posse had taken a variety of pleased pride on their faces while Ezlo was simply nodding. "Very well done, Your Highness." With that, Link released his anxious breath and spread his smile into a wide grin. "Your Highness may take your rest now. I'll return within an hour's time, Your Highness."

Just as the suited posse closed the doors after Ezlo's exit, Link lost all power to even hold his head. His cheek pressed against an open book, Link could not fight any longer against sleep's warm embrace.

**.**

Everyone was taken aback to see Princess Zelda in this specific section of the palace. However, that did not mean they had forgotten to bow down to the future Queen Regent of Hyrule. In return, Zelda gave them all short nods of acknowledgement that they couldn't see, and focused her stare back onto the pathway. The stone pathway appeared worn now that the Crown Prince of Hyrule was here, especially from Ezlo and Link's palace guards.

Neither of them were inside when Zelda tapped at the grand glass doors. Aware that the doors were locked at all times, the princess fetched for the head maid. After she unlocked the doors, Zelda invited herself inside and yanked the velvet curtains aside, that were masking the interior before. The dimmed room was then enveloped with sunlight filtering through the glass doors. There was one other source of light, an electric lamp placed upon an occupied desk. Scoffing, Zelda made her way over, dropped a paper bag by his chair, and took her seat next to his sleeping head.

"Thank the Goddesses," she thought aloud, "that you're not a snorer."

Rather, when he slept, Link breathed in these soft inhales, and breathed out softer exhales. His upper body barely rose with his inhales, and Zelda noticed his slight shudders whenever his torso fell. Rolling her eyes, she reached over to remove his blazer from the back of his chair and dropped the jacket onto his sleeping figure. Her eyes flickering left and right, she made certain that no one was looking, before Zelda fixed the blazer so that it draped over his shoulders. She knew that Link was struggling with the Crown Prince education when the maids had informed her that Link had spent consecutive nights without sleep. He was totally knocked out at the moment, so Zelda took the chance to lean in even closer. Studying him at these close quarters, she thought that Poppy was possibly right. Not that he was completely cute, but at a certain angle, Zelda could believe he was sort of cute. He was much cuter back then anyway.

Just as her hand was to flick his bangs from his drool, Link shot upward from his seat.

"Huhwahwaha?!"

"Oh—_gods!_"

He blinked, swiping his hand across his lower lip. "Zelda?"

She scowled. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Did I? Sorry." He looked down to see his blazer was on the floor. He wondered why her glare hardened when he bent down to pick it up, but he knew she wouldn't answer if he asked. Instead, he draped his jacket over her legs and inquired, "What are you doing here? You know this is the Crown Prince's study?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Of course I know that. Do you take me for a moron?"

Link knew better than to answer her rhetorical question. Shrugging, he took his seat again—not quite sure why Zelda was still perched on his desk—and then realized something strange with his impeccable and wife-to-be. Noticing that he noticed, Zelda swiveled her head to one side, however, Link had already compared and contrasted with both.

"Hey," he called and laid his crossed arms onto the desk. "What's happened with your face?"

"How crudely stated." Her nose wrinkling, she replied with a scoff. "Wedding preparations. I was advised to seek for your opinion. Although I could care less."

"Oh."

"This," Zelda started, quite quickly, and pointed to the half of her face that Link was already staring at, "is Regal Radiance." When Link nodded, she turned to the other side, and kept her stare skyward. It was obvious to her that he was smiling or laughing or something else annoying now that he could see both contrasted looks side-by-side. "And then this is Bohemian Blush." A moment passed as she blinked and breathed out. "What do you think?"

"I think?" Link raised one arm to support his chin as he thought about it. "I think you should go with nothing."

He really was unpredictable, she thought. "Why should I do that?"

"Why? Well... I guess because you always look presentable. Like, you always have some make-up on your face." He shrugged and turned on his chin. "I mean, I know you're supposed to look perfect, like really perfect, at your wedding, but... I dunno, I think you'd look pretty bare-faced anyway."

It took a moment before Link realized what he said to her, and he immediately hid behind his hands. Indifferent, Zelda leaned down, picking the paper bag from the ground, and lowered it onto the desk before him. He peeked behind his fingers when she stated, "From Poppy."

When he opened the bag, there were tiny pieces of something wrapped. Curious, Link read the wrapping, before a great grin spread across his mouth. Chuckling, he realized aloud, "It's milk candy." Unwrapping a piece, he popped one into his mouth and nearly melted from the overwhelming sugar. "Man, I loved this stuff as a kid. I mean, I still do." He offered a piece to Zelda who accepted without opening it. "How did she know?"

Her chin supported by her palm, Zelda answered, "She said you told her while you were taking her on the tour."

"Oh, right." But Link didn't remember telling her that at all. He shrugged since he didn't trust his memory anyway. "Wait, hold on a minute." After chewing on his second candy, Link asked, "How do you know Poppy?"

"She and I are childhood friends."

"Huh," Link mumbled, chewing on his fourth or fifth or both pieces. He was losing count. "Hey, do you know if she came to Hyrule when you guys were younger?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes. Why?"

Link was quiet when he wasn't quite so sure himself. "I think I knew her before."

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know."

"Then why did you ask me?"

"I mean I do know, but I don't," Link stumbled to answer, rubbing his temple. "Like, when I hung out with her, I got this weird image in my head, this image I swear I never seen before. I don't know—" He glanced at Zelda, and was curious from her glass-eyed gaze, "—I don't why I saw it because I don't think I met her before, but I really really do think I know her."

A moment passed, before Zelda prompted, "What is the image?"

Link had to take his time, rising the memory back to the surface. "It's... It's a little girl, maybe six or seven. She has her back to me because I don't think she saw me, but then she turns around." He paused, trying to imagine the memory in high-definition, but the edges were all blurred to him. "She's been crying, I know. I don't know why. Don't ask me that. I just do. Um. She looks at me and I feel like crying too—I don't know—and she says..."

"Says?"

Link's reply was barely a mumble, "_Save me, Link_."

Moments passed, before Zelda inquired, "Why do you think she's Poppy?"

He looked at her as though the obvious. "Because she looks like Poppy, I guess. But then I guess it could be a bias since I saw it when I was with her. I don't know, honestly."

Link thought her next question came completely from left field.

"What was the color of her eyes?"

That Link could not answer. That detail was one that had been blurred by the terrible obscurity of his memory, but the longer Link looked at Zelda, the more certain he was of his answer. Their eye contact did not break as Link gave his answer with the most confidence he had, "Blue."

_Wrong_, he thought, when Zelda looked away. "You were imagining things."

"Why?" he blurted. Turning away from him, she slipped off the desk and brushed the wrinkles of her skirt. It was his memory, why was she refusing to answer him? "Do you know something that I don't?"

As much as Link wanted her to face him, she did, but at a closer proximity than he was comfortable with. Still, he was thinking of how pretty, pretty, _pretty glorious_—"Link, you cannot comprehend the magnitude of your mess," the princess started, her index finger pressed between his eyes, "so I will be the one cleaning up for you. You should thank me so listen well and know less as possible, lest you cause more havoc than you already have. It's better to keep this head empty, don't you think?" When her finger tapped against forehead, Link blinked and realized something important was definitely being hidden from him. "Oh, and don't mention your hallucinations to Poppy."

Of course, Link thought, maybe Poppy would know, however, he also thought well against it from the steel sharpness in the princess' glare. There was nothing to be said after all that Zelda had said, therefore Link made an awkward move to turn away from her and focus his somber stare into his lap.

This didn't pass by the princess who glanced at him and sighed. "I agreed to a compromise when I would marry you." When there was no response from him, Zelda elaborated, "One promise was that after our marriage officiated, we would move to the Lanayru Palace. That way, a distance will be placed between the elder Royal Family members and us. You can invite your girlfriends over if you want to. Have those drinking parties or whatever it is. And, uh." A pause followed when the princess noticed a strange look taken off his eyes, and she rubbed at the side of her neck. "I'm aware that you're supposed to alienate yourself from the Forria family, but you might be able to visit them if you've stayed at the Lanayru Palace. You can't sneak out that often, but maybe once or twice per month?"

"Please stop."

His voice was unheard to Zelda who glanced into the palm of her hand. "Then what about moving Kind Kokiri Homes closer to Lanayru Palace? There's a wonderful villa a few miles away which can be converted to the orphanage. It'll be all expenses paid by the Royal Family, of course—"

"_I said stop it!_"

Her lips closed together and, incredulous, she listened to him.

"You think... You think it's that easy? That you can hurt me with your words, that you can limit whatever I'll do, and then try to comfort me?" Zelda had never seen his stare hardening before, and she thought it was a sight to be reckoned with. "I don't really understand why you hate me so much. I know you won't even consider telling me why because, for some reason, I don't even deserve to know. But I think I deserve to stop hearing this." A tinge of cross crimson touched his cheeks as he mumbled, "I don't need to be comforted by you."

Moments passed before Zelda thought of her reaction.

"It was all Poppy's idea anyway." Her tone nonchalant, she laughed something akin to forced amusement. "Fine, but let me promise you this." He looked up, and was a witness to a new level of her held-back hostility. "When I surpass Crown Princess, when no one can stop me, and when you still struggle with the life of royalty, I do not have to be weighed down any longer. I have no need for a child who cannot endure Crown Prince education and who cannot live without his family. You're aware of this? That there will be the time when you are at the last of your rope, when you are about to die of this life." The princess was still so very close to him, and she neared closer so that her cheek pressed against his, that her breath warmed his ear, that her words were heard as soft and harshly-veiled, "When that time comes, I will divorce you."

**. . .**

**. . **

**.**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**this is a modern universe after all so something like this isn't far out of the question. next chapter previews "a spiffy ceremony in which two people get married only to divorce/kill each other a year later" aka the wedding. will be LONG.  
**

**thanks for the r&amp;r last chapter!**

**ShadowNinja1011:** getting hyped up was the plan ❤

**Libby8980:** we all feel for Link ❤

**Doodle Ladle: **ty for the help! lol Link's a real genius tho ❤

**RageMuffinz:** they are in a relationship they just don't know it lol ❤

**Chameleon Eyes: **tysm for reviewing from chpt.1 and also for the sword fighting guys! you're a star :)) ❤

**The Predicate:** hmm I guess it's more historical since most of it is strategic, harmless sword fighting from the games. it's neither kendo or fencing, but it's also a mix? there will be scenes where Link sword fights and hopefully that'll answer ur question. thanks for asking! ❤

**MsNerdd: **tysm for reviewing from chpt.1! Link will most def marry the princess of his dreams lol and the chapter titles will reveal the moral of this story I guess... can you turn your Private Messaging on? ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	6. your

**6**

**. . .**

**. . **

**. **

**12:02 AM. _Tatl:_ wats 2day?! **

**12:04 AM. _Navi:_ OMG, Liiiiiinnk, what's today?**

**12:04 AM. _Proxi:_ Link, don't say Friday bc I already checked!**

**12:08 AM. _Ciela_: Goodness, Tatl, you text us at 12 in the morning for this? **

**12:10 AM. _Tatl_: yea gues wat no skool wher tf is link?!**

**12:11 AM. _Navi_: Hey, Link, listen, wake up! **

**12:15 AM. _Ciela_: Still nothing? **

**12:17 AM. Proxi: Do you think they finally confiscated his phone?**

**12:17 AM. _Link_: Oh Gods.**

**12:17 AM. _Tatl_: HAPPY **

**12:18 AM. _Navi_: ROYAL**

**12:18 AM. _Ciela_: WEDDING**

**12:18 AM. _Proxi_: DAY! **

**12:20 AM. _Link_: Oh no. **

.

"Wake up."

A sharp pain started from Link's upper arm, causing his eyes to suddenly snap open. There was a moment before he raised his other arm to rub against the affected area, then he sleepily focused to his assailant. Princess Zelda sat across from him—just as innocent as she was indifferent—while they were waiting in a closed-off room. Each minute, her patience was running thin as she had also been forced awake hours too early for the day's ostentatious occasion.

After pressing his hands against his closed eyes, Link adjusted his sight of Zelda in her plain white dress. As for him, Link recalled drowsily donning a matching, plain tunic along with plainer trousers that were a tad too tight. Ezlo had told him that these were only the ceremonial clothing before they were to be dressed in their official wedding garb, which Link remembered from his incredible patience through countless fittings. Glancing at Zelda, he could imagine that she would had endured through just the same, perhaps more so as the country's exemplary bride. Just for the wedding of the millennium.

He did not look forward to this day as much as she did.

"Zelda." By the call of her name, she did not respond. "Zelda, I'm really sorry about the other day."

The tone of her voice was painfully monotonous. "What ever could you mean by that?"

By the end of that day, Link realized snapping at her to stop comforting him was a slight too mean. However, he still felt that her comforting was awkward. It didn't feel as genuine when she was belittling him moments before. _Am I going to be always apologizing? _Link thought, rubbing his temple tiredly.

To his surprise, she added on, "Whatever you're talking about, forget it."

"You mean... You mean you're not angry with me?"

Her gaze flickering away from him, she moved her long hair off her shoulders. Shrugging, she replied, "I'll always be on some level of annoyance with you, Link. However, I guess I'm on a moderate level as of now." Then her words were poison again when she declared, "I will not take back my promise that I will divorce you."

It was a painful truth that Link took a moment to say, "It's probably for the best."

"For your best."

"Yeah, and yours. But it makes today so useless."

"It is."

Looking down, he tousled his hair and yawned. "What time did we wake up for nothing anyway?"

From his yawn, she released one of her own as well. "4-something."

Her hand over her parted lips, Zelda looked to the side as Link fixed his stare in the same direction. "How much longer do we have to wait?"

"No longer," she answered.

Over at the doors, Ezlo and Impa were on either side with their arms outward. Contrasting the couple, they were dressed in a more formal fashion as the official advisers to the future King and Queen. Unfailingly respectful, they bowed their heads as they called for their superiors, "Your Highness."

Side-by-side, Link and Zelda rose onto their feet. As Link rubbed the last lingering of sleep from his eyes, Zelda was prepared to begin as she strode out of the room with Impa right behind her. It took Link a moment before Ezlo followed behind him. There, Link made it beside Princess Zelda just as another set of double doors were opened before them.

Inside was the main chamber for the Fire Temple of Din. It was a rectangular room with dirt-brown stone everywhere, but it had a humble ambiance with the variety of candles for light and the decorative carpet for pews. No one was to be inside with exception to the King and Queen of Hyrule—who were not present—and the young royalty's advisers. Ezlo and Impa had to wait upon the farthest carpet while Link and Zelda walked forward to the altar and the priest.

Swept into a bow, the priest stated, "Welcome, Your Highness and Your Highness."

While Zelda didn't bother to reply, Link smiled. Even though Link had met the priest during rehearsals, his name easily escaped Link as he guessed, "Thank you, Father... Toyed-pear-son...?"

As Link was struggling, a smile crossed the priest's expression. "Father Lloyd is fine."

"Oh, okay, thanks, Fa—"

"Can we _please_ move on?"

Still smiling, the priest flipped open a palm-sized book and stated, "We are here today to bestow Din's blessing upon the future sovereigns of our beloved Hyrule."

As far as Link studied and knew, there had been instances where potential Hyrulean rulers were denied Din's blessing. Less often, Nayru and Farore had denied as well, but the first ceremony with Din had always been a more of trial than a predictable ceremony. Link also knew that those who had failed to receive Din's blessing were those with concealed greed for Din's entity as the Goddess of Power.

He hoped that just because he was marrying for money did not equate to a hollow heart.

The priest handed the two a small candle flickering with fire. The next moments were a slow blur for Link who hadn't exactly mastered Ancient Hylian enough to comprehend the priest's speech. It was awkward enough that the priest would make eye contact with him, and Link would just nod vigorously, which reminded him of how he would during class lectures. However, this was much more uncomfortable since the priest was literally speaking another language, and there were only two people to stare at, including himself. Beside Link, Zelda didn't appear to follow as well, most likely because of her half-lidded eyes, but then she would have the capability to listen perfectly without watching.

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed towards Link. He blinked. She glanced toward the priest.

He glanced too.

The priest was smiling, but it was strained when his mouth moved, releasing stringed phrases that still sounded like gibberish. Quickly, Link tried to process a few words into modern Hyrulean, when the priest lowered his voice to a whisper, "Are you ready, Your Highness?"

Because Link wasn't following before, he had no idea what the priest was referring to. Until Zelda nudged him with her elbow—_hard_—hard enough that he suddenly remembered.

"Oh!—yeah."

His uncertainty passing by the priest, he declared other words of ancient gibberish which surprisingly struck a chord with Link. This time, he was listening closely for the familiar flow of the priest's oration. He knew these phrases were exactly the ritual for the blessing ceremony of Din.

"So we just gotta," he muttered to himself, "take this and—"

Immediately, Zelda ceased Link from furthering his actions with the candle. It suddenly occurred to Link that he didn't have to go first, and his chances of success were probably higher if he watched her. Therefore, he was happy to step back while Zelda stepped forward. Her left hand rose and pressed her manicured fingers onto her right bicep as in her right hand, she held the candle, which did not burn out. Watching, Link was amazed at his fiancée's elegance when in one fluid move, she was kneeling with her blond head bowed. Below, her wispy hair framed her face as, above, the priest hovered his hand above her head.

All at once, the flames of the hundreds of candles around the room were extinguished. The only source of light were from the candles Link and Zelda were holding. Still, two tiny candles could not light the extensive expanse of the Fire Temple's main chamber. Withstanding that, none of the inside members were alarmed.

Then, almost starling Link, the priest broke the silence in modern Hyrulean, "Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to uphold your reverence and your responsibility to the earth Din formed with her flaming arms? Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to maintain the green fields of Faron to the great mountaintops of Eldin? Will Your Highness solemnly swear to the utmost of your Power protect Din's creation in Hyrule?"

Her voice crystal-clear, Princess Zelda stated, "All of this, I solemnly swear to do."

"Let Din judge you have you not."

With that, the priest lifted his hand, and Zelda lifted onto her feet. The next move had Link furrowing his forehead with anticipation. From his studying, the preceding step was practically a magic trick that he did not believe, until he could see the ritual with his own two eyes. Which he was granted the sight with Zelda being the demonstrator.

Gently, her lips pursed together as Zelda blew out her candle's flame.

The effect was instantaneous. His eyes wide, Link blinked in incredulous belief the moment fire sprouted from the variety of candles on Zelda's side of the chamber. The princess's reaction to her success was a roll of her eyes. There hadn't been a trace of hesitation upon her expression before, however the same could not be the same for Link. Rather, perspiration was building on his upper back when he prepared to face the priest.

Tentative, Link stepped forward while Zelda stepped back. Just as Zelda did, Link positioned his left fingers onto his right bicep and held out the candle in his right hand. His legs were trembling in the slightest when he lowered onto his knees and the priest lowered his hand above Link's bowed head.

"Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to uphold your reverence and your responsibility to the earth Din formed with her flaming arms? Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to maintain the green fields of Faron to the great mountaintops of Eldin? Will Your Highness solemnly swear to the utmost of your Power protect Din's creation in Hyrule?"

His voice croaking, Link started, "Aa-all o-of—" His shaky statement cut off and Link squeezed his eyes shut, before starting again, "All of this, I solemnly swear to do."

"Let Din judge you have you not."

After the priest lifted his hand, Link lifted himself onto his feet. He stared down at the candle in his hand. The priest was waiting, Zelda was waiting, and there were also Ezlo and Impa in the back, all waiting. The perspiration doubled down his back and with that, fears of failure built upon his uneasy emotions. It was one moment that could fail him and what would happened afterwards? Would the orphanage still be in financial trouble if he failed the trial of Din? In his eyes were the burning-out look, which Link thought was ironic since he was supposed to burn out his candle, and he released a short, scared laugh.

It was unnoticeable in the dark, but Link felt a hand upon the inside of his elbow.

He did not know why that was all it took. He did not even look at her as the whirlwinds of panic left his mind. He regained his head as his own.

Her hand did not leave when Link closed his eyes. _Three seconds_, he told himself, _that's all it takes_. The last traces of chaos were quieted by a simple countdown of a calming exercise, and her silent touch which remained. Then his exhale released through gritted teeth, and his eyelids were snapped apart.

The fire upon his candle did not blow out. Instead, by the touch of Link's breath, the fire multiplied in great flurries, toward Link. Immediately, Ezlo and Impa were running, but they halted their hurry when they realized Link and the others was unharmed. Their eyes were fixed on the fire—that same fire that started as a flickering ball upon Link's candle—that swept harmlessly over him and then rolled toward the unlit candles in great waves. Like a sea, the fire had spread to completely pass over the candle wick upon Link's side and therefore, ignite the candles from row to row. They all were watching until the final wave of fire burned out upon the last row. With that last flash of fire, every candle had returned its light and enveloped the fire chamber differently than before, with an almost otherworldly incandescence.

Silence.

With a shrug, the priest brought out a paintbrush and a bottle from his cassock. Seeing that, Zelda was the first to roll up her dress sleeve to expose the bare skin of her bicep, before Link followed her action. Quiet, he watched as the priest dipped the paintbrush into red paint and then drew three almost wave-like lines upon Zelda's skin. Link laughed a little when her dainty nose scrunch from the cold colorant, but she endured until the paintbrush lifted. Then he pressed his lips together as the priest forwarded him with the brush glistened with paint. He attempted not to laugh again when the brush tickled his skin, before the priest finished his mark of Din. They did not look, but they knew there was a line of connection with the identical signs upon their skin.

Link and Zelda received the Blessing of Din.

**.**

On their way to Springs Cathedral of Nayru, Link and Zelda were seated beside each other. There was a mirrored barrier between the back passenger seats and the drivers as Ezlo was driving and beside him was Impa. Unlike their passengers, the two advisers were quietly discussing the next ceremony. Bored, Link couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation so he lifted his head off the window, and over to Zelda. The princess noticed, but she believed she didn't serve as his entertainment, and simply turned her head toward her window. The couple hadn't spoken ever since the waiting room, and Link thought she wasn't about to speak with him now.

Moments passed in silence until Link noticed the soft sounds. It was definitely melodic and the more he listened, the more Link was certain it was coming from Zelda's side. For a perceptive princess, she did not notice that she was humming loud enough for Link to notice. The thought finally occurred to her when she heard Link humming along.

At once, she swiped her head toward him. Her face was the slightest flustered when she removed a tiny bud from her ear. Reaching it out toward Link, he thought it was some sort of hearing aid. "There's too much waiting to be done," she explained, and still held the earbud toward Link. "They're wireless and the most developed earphones so far. The music player is hidden in my dress pocket." His forehead furrowing, Link glanced at her dress and then was impressed. Because of the girls, he knew dresses with pockets were a big thing. Annoyed, Zelda dropped the earbud and Link caught it with one hand. "You can listen in, I suppose."

Curious, Link inserted the earbud and was not surprised to hear instrumental music. Strangely enough, it mostly composed of strings and some high-pitched piano. He would had returned the ear bud if it wasn't the possibility of being rude. He tried to differentiate between each classical song, but Link wasn't much of an instrument player. There was the one time he played the triangle back in primary school, but he was pretty sure there were no triangles being played in Zelda's music. After several classical songs, he coughed. "Um, Zelda?" Fortunately, she had given him her right earphone, so she heard quite clearly and looked at him from her peripheral vision. "I'm really sorry, not that classical music isn't _bad _the best music ever, but can you please play something else?"

She narrowed her gaze, but Link widened his eyes to hear another song.

"_**—**ing __on __love's final roun__**—**_"

Barely three seconds in, Zelda swiped past the current song, but Link knew. He most definitely knew by the boyish grin sweeping across his mouth. Attempting to keep an apathetic appearance, Zelda could not face him. There was multiple strategies to approach this situation, but she decided for the one with the least effort. For an awful day, it was about to become much worse, Zelda thought.

Link beamed. "Was that WINWAR?"

"Yes."

He paused. "Do you like WINWAR?"

"I-I suppose."

"Are you a WINNER?"

"Wha-What is _that_?"

"Oh, you definitely know." The grin on Link's face brightened. "A hard-core enthusiast and supporter of the sing-and-dance boyband WINWAR—aka WINged WARriors—that you all think you're not just fans, but like you're_ at one_ with the WINWAR members and—"

Fed up with his fun, Zelda interrupted to indecisively say, "I am-I don't-I—," At odds, she did think herself as an enthusiast and a supporter, but she had never heard of the term before. There was the way Link described the word as though it had negative and crazy connotations, so she scoffed and settled with a simple, "_No_."

"Really?" Link gasped, his mouth agape.

"Can you close that cursed mouth of yours?" she snapped.

"Can you open the WINWAR song again?" he countered.

"Oh my Gods." Zelda sounded as though she was going to throttle him any moment, but Link kept his animated expression when he heard the song starting. "I will not hear another word from you."

"Uh-huh."

Surprisingly, she didn't hear anything else from him, but she didn't have to. Without even looking at him, she could hear Link humming along and apparently dancing as well if one could call his strange on-beat shrugging as dancing. Eventually the song ended, but then because Link had insisted, Zelda had to show him the rest of her private playlist. It was an interesting strategy for Link to bring Zelda down to his level. He even found her somewhat interesting at times. In the middle of "Wet Wings," Link swore he was hearing scattered sniffling from Zelda's side and she noticed his noticing so, in her defense, she asked sharply, "Aren't you even _listening_!?"

_Oh gods_, Link thought and rubbed his nose,_ she's so cute_.

At last, they arrived in the Springs Cathedral of Nayru. There was no waiting around this time. Ezlo and Impa lead them straight into the main chamber of the building. While walking, Link thought that Nayru's sanctuary allowed a lot more natural light and there was the constant stream of water flowing somewhere, nearby. After they arrived into the main chamber, they were immediately directed toward the front as their advisers again took their positions in the last row. They were sitting upon alabaster benches, watching as Link and Zelda stood before the fountain altar and the priest.

"Hello again."

"Hey, Father L."

"Can you move?"

His jaw dropped at Zelda's brusque question, but then Link was much more surprised to see the priest actually step to the side. His head bowed, he stated, "Please come in, Your Highness."

"Sorry," he whispered as Zelda kicked off her kitten heels and then Link hastily followed by removing his boots. Afterward, Link offered his hand to Zelda, who would rather ignored him and headed in the fountain by herself. Taking back his hand, Link traced her footsteps into the knee-deep waters. The temperature was comfortably warm, to Link's relief. His only complaint was that the lower half of his trousers was seeping in water, and Link wished he rolled up his pants. With a quick glance, he also wished for an alternative, since Zelda pinned her dress higher onto her hip.

Again, Link realized he wasn't paying attention as the priest was once again speaking in Ancient Hylian. The awkward atmosphere resumed from the Fire Temple of Din as Link maintained eye contact with the priest. His head was nodding off, and it almost snapped off his neck when Link heard multiple fingers snapping in his left ear. Suddenly, he remembered he had Zelda's earphone, and still tucked into his ear no less. It wasn't the volume of the music that was bothering Link, but the content of the lyrics that had him unsettled.

"S_he's my eeeeeverythiiiiiiiiiiiinnng._"

His mouth twitching upward, Link kept his straight-faced expression toward the priest.

"_Please, no goodbyes._

_ T__here's fallen petals at the end of our red string._"

The priest was puzzled to watch Link smiling at him while reaching for Zelda's elbow. The princess immediately wretched back her arm. Embarrassed for Link, the priest squinted and pretended he never saw.

"_You're found in my eyes._"

_The hell you are, _Link thought and shut his eyes for a phony sneeze. The priest found nothing out of the norm as he continued talking in lost tongue as Link swallowed down his laugh. Goddesses, Zelda knew Link couldn't look away too long from the priest, lest he break the common courtesy, and he wanted nothing more than to release the bundle of giggles in his gut. Unable to help himself, Link bit his own tongue while the sickeningly sweet words continued, "_She's the song I sssiiiii—_"

Of course, the music discontinued once the priest focused onto Zelda. He didn't catch it, but Link noticed Zelda tapping against her thigh. His head quiet, Link pinched the front of his tunic and emitted a mixture of coughing and chortling into the white fabric. His tongue stung quite a bit, but he would rather not ruin the ceremony with his loud laughter. As soon as he released his tunic, Link realized he could remove the earphone and his fingers almost folded into his ear, but then immediately returned to his side as the priest focused onto him once again.

Link strained to smile as in his head, he heard clear and clearer, "—_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiinng._"

The high-pitched sound caused an amused gurgle to rise from his throat. The priest didn't mind, but with a quick glance, Link noted that Zelda had covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers. Her lips were graced with a silly smile, and he was somewhat glad she, at least, was having fun.

"_I will relive lifetimes to always fall for you. _

_"You're the only one I turn to._"

Another bundle was forming in his stomach, and this time, it was hurting. The ceremonial speech did not stop, but the priest leaned closer to Link out of concern. _Dude, don't do that_, Link thought, _this is brainwashing me. _Pitifully, he tried to press his lips together but then the priest stood straight again.

"_With your own lips, call for me, baby, baby__—_"

"Your Highness?"

It was utterly useless when Link couldn't help a sudden snicker, which he covered up with another cough. He thought he heard Zelda cough as well, along with a hint of a giggle underneath. Still, the smile stayed upon her lips and, amused himself, Link fixed his bright stare onto the priest. Link felt bad for tricking him like this, but he really needed for this to end. "Ow, ow, owwww," Link winced and batted the side of his head with his hand. "Don't you hear that, Father Lloyd?"

Silent, the priest blinked. "Hear what?"

"It's—owwww—" As his hand bumped against his left ear, the earphone popped out, and Link quickly closed his fingers over it. Then his fisted hands returned to their sides, his left tighter than the other. Laughing lightly, he explained, "Ah, I thought it was just me! It's gone now! Ha ha!" No one laughed, which Link expected. "Sorry, Father Lloyd, but can we continue now?"

Looking back at Ezlo, the priest inquired, "Don't you want medical attention?"

"Nope! I'm great! Please continue!"

Moments passed before the priest shrugged. "Alrighty then." He finally focused back onto Zelda who at once wore her emotionless expression. There was the tradition that she had to kneel before the priest, but her hands were pressed together as though she was praying. The tips of her fingers were in level with her forehead and, after finding her appropriate, the priest lowered his hand before her head. Returning to the language Link knew best, the priest spoke, "Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to uphold your acceptance and your accordance with the laws of Nayru? Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to abide to all the rules that holds Hyrule together from infinity to eternity? Will Your Highness solemnly swear to the utmost of your Wisdom to follow Nayru's creation in Hyrule?"

There was a rise of confidence in the princess's voice. "All of this, I solemnly swear to do."

"Let Nayru judge you have you not."

Intrigue brightened in Link's watchful gaze as, this time, the priest brought out a porcelain bowl. It fit within his palms, and he bent down to dip the bowl beneath the fountains water. After water filled the entire capacity, the priest stood straight again. A slow sigh leaving her lips, Zelda closed her eyes the moment before the water flowed from above. She would had commented on Link's opened mouth, however, she was concentrating on the pouring water. It had cascaded down in a fashion that Link believed to finally understand from the text as "crystalline."

_Glorious, _Link thought as the sunlight poured through the glass ceiling, sending shimmers upon her liquid crystal.

After the last drops returned into the fountain, Zelda tossed her long hair over her shoulder which was free of any water. Again, she had turned away from the priest for Link. His legs felt heavy as he moved forward, anxiety once again twisting his mind. Then he thought about the last ceremony, and convinced himself he couldn't fail now. His confidence returning, Link brought his hand together in the prayer position. His hand above Link's bowed head, the priest repeated, "Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to uphold your acceptance and your accordance with the laws of Nayru? Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to abide to all the rules that holds Hyrule together from infinity to eternity? Will Your Highness solemnly swear to the utmost of your Wisdom to follow Nayru's creation in Hyrule?"

His voice low, but certain, Link said, "All of this, I solemnly swear to do."

"Let Nayru judge you have you not."

As the priest refilled the bowl, Link chanced a quick glance back at Zelda. His eyes on her, the princess rolled her eyes, but gave him a small thumbs-up. Content, he turned back to see the priest standing above him with the bowl of water. Just as Zelda did, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Still, his heart was beating louder than he thought, as though he had both of Zelda's earphones plugged in again. How could he concentrate with his heartbeat drumming in his head? There was the heavy disturbance of failure in his head when he felt the water seep into his hair, but Link tried. The small countdown did not succeed him this time around, and he felt it flow down his forehead. What saved him last time was her hand upon him, but she could not touch him when he must be within the water. So how could—

Link stopped thinking so much, focused, and envisioned the moments before. The unreal radiance of sunlight upon pouring water. Nayru intended for her to shine brilliantly. Deeper, there was the princess concealed within. The look on her face. Long eyelashes upon the curve of her cheek. The elegant angle of her chin tipped upward. Lighted lips parted in calm concentration.

Then he thought he heard the call of his name.

Once he opened his eyes, Link was surprised to see Princess Zelda in the flesh. Her lips were parted high enough to reveal her white teeth, and Link would had teasingly commented on that, if she wasn't pushing back her saturated hair. The priest appeared the same with water dripping from him but, in the back, Ezlo and Impa were hurrying over to them. His forehead lined with furrows, Link was concerned how in Hyrule had this happened?

"Shoot, I'm so sorry!" blurted Link and tentatively reached for Zelda.

Ignoring him, Zelda grabbed the middle of her hair and squeezed as Impa called, "Princess!"

"I'm fine, Impa."

To the priest, Link asked sheepishly, "Father Lloyd, are you...?"

"Great!" he laughed and untied his soaked cassock onto the ground. "You did great!"

In the background, Ezlo handed Princess Zelda his robe. Seeing that, Link mumbled, "Really?"

"Yeah, Your Highness." On his knees, the priest searched through his robe and pulled out a brush and a bottle. "Let's finish up."

For the finalization, Link and Zelda were positioned side-by-side. Then the priest forwarded Princess Zelda and, with a stable hand, drew three connected crescent moons and the three circles midway upon her forehead. There was an extra moment to check to see if the mark of Din had washed off, which fortunately had not. When the priest stood before Link, the consort smiled shakily when the priest had not a moment to dry himself. Nonetheless, the priest painted the mark of Nayru onto Link as well. Immediately afterwards, Zelda was ushered into a separate room for a dry set of clothes.

Zelda had received the Blessing of Nayru, and as did Link, even though he had no idea why.

**.**

Link could not comprehend how prepared the wedding staff were. Barely five minutes afterward, Zelda had donned a duplicate of her dress before, although it wasn't that much of a challenge to find an exact dress as simple as hers was. It was her hair that was the problem and she continued to make use of the hair dryer during the car ride.

"I'm really sorry."

It was a surprise to Link that she could hear underneath the blaring _whoosh_ of the hair dryer. Her eyes rolling, Zelda replied, "I'm telling you it's fine."

After she turned off the appliance, Link rubbed his temple. "But I messed up your hair."

"Yes, but," Zelda said, brushing through her warm locks. Then she lowered her hairbrush and looked at Link. "How about now?"

He squinted in effort. "Maybe you should tie it up."

"Hmm."

"Or not."

"Just wait." The princess reached into the hairstyling bag she was given for this specific situation. After putting away the hair dryer, she reached for a simple white ribbon and used that to tie her hair into a messy bun. Her hair would had looked much more professional with some help from a mirror, however Zelda found it annoying that there was none in the bag. Her eyebrows knitting together, she continued to check the bag as she inquired, "And now?"

Honestly, Link thought he only saw her with her hair down. Not that her free-flowing style wasn't attractive to him, but seeing a more tousled and imperfect appearance was much more Link's style. Tongue-tied, he could only manage an agreeable bob of his head.

When she looked up at him with stray strands clinging to her cheek, Link flustered and blurted, "Whose your main?"

Her eyes flickered back into the bag. "What?"

"Your main. In WINWAR."

She scoffed. "Why are we back to this again?"

"You do have one, don't you?"

Her eyes rolled heavenward, but then she admitted, "Neri."

Amazed, he flashed a toothy grin. "No way."

"Why not?"

"I didn't expect you to favor the visual."

"_Pssht_," she scoffed again and curved her lips into an appalled smirk. "You think I favor Neri because he's the prettiest?"

Beaming, Link shrugged and said, "You're not supposed to favor any guy whose prettier than you."

"_Excuse_ me?"

"Handsomer, well, yeah. Hotter, a-okay. Cuter, that depends on you, but prettier, that's a never." Out of all information to remember, Link couldn't believe he recalled the uselessness the girls blabbered to each other, and that caused his inability to cease his laughing. "It's an unwritten law that Nayru must had forgotten."

It was the first that Link heard Zelda laughing now, although muted as she pressed her fist to her lips. Still, it was a sound that didn't ring as cold or harsh to him. "Idiot," she remarked, still snickering. "I don't like him for his looks."

"Then why?"

"_Why?_" Her fist lowering to her chest, Zelda emitted a huff of disbelief. "WINWAR's Neri was ranked twenty-three in Hyrule."

"Ranked?"

"Of course, you wouldn't be aware, but when I say rank, I mean he was in the top five percentile of Hyrule's most prominent academia—"

In the driver's section, Impa had heard a curious commotion from the back. She looked past the mirrored barrier to surprisingly see Zelda and Link talking as animatedly as they were. The hard edges in her face were replaced with light lines, brightening her expressive countenance. Beside her, Link had nudged her and was moving his mouth in reply, but she responded with a smack to his shoulder and an inaudible laugh. Her eyes narrowed, Impa turned back to the front as Ezlo inquired, "What is it?"

"They're getting along."

"About time, I'd say."

"I suppose it is time." Then Impa's voice lowered, musing to herself. "She will not like this."

"—so, basically, he's the pretty nerd?" guessed Link.

"So what if he is?" Zelda appeared to be proud of that fact as she stated, "If it wasn't for his "nerd" quality, WINWAR wouldn't had a chance in the Shadow Temple."

Perplexed, Link scratched the side of his hair. "The Shadow Temple?"

Her eyes rolling, she elaborated, "The Shadow Temple was a special event where Hyrulean idols were brought together to compete in a haunted temple marathon." The shape of his mouth formed a small '_oh_'. "WINWAR was the only team to pass the Cursed Bokoblin room because the only way out was to solve an epsilon-delta proof problem."

"Oh," Link repeated as he thought, _What the hell is that. _

"So while the other members were filled with fear, Neri was the only contestant in the entire competition who correctly wrote down his full work and his answer. And because of Neri's quick intelligence, WINWAR passed with second place." With a hand to her cheek, Zelda tilted her head into her palm and sighed through her smile. "It was absolutely beautiful."

Unable to say anything, Link suddenly wished he had the erudite appeal that Zelda admired.

Suddenly, the doors were opened with Impa and Ezlo on either sides. Her hand offered to the princess, Impa informed, "We have arrived at the Forest Chapel of Farore."

Within the building, there was a heavy decoration of flora either as towering trees whose canopies brushed the glass ceilings or as floral carvings upon the marble walls. The inside atmosphere was comfortable when the air was even noticeably cleaner than the outside. It was comfortably hot as well when the glass all around allowed maximum sunlight to filter into Farore's building. Link was fanning himself with his hand as he and Princess Zelda entered the chapel's main chamber. As before, Impa and Ezlo took their seats upon the last row of wooden stools and watched their superiors walk to the altar and the priest. Link was glad to see that the priest had changed into dry clothing in time.

"Hello once again."

"Hello, Father Lloyd."

"Let's get on with it."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Even before the priest began to speak in Ancient Hylian, Link immediately fixed his gaze onto the background. From his readings, he recalled that there was the flowering Deku Tree that was supposedly a seed from the original Deku Tree, however there wasn't a test to be certain. Link remembered reading that this Deku Tree had taken a several decades to grow into the lofty length it was now, and afterward, during King Gustaf's period, the Forest Temple of Farore was built around the tree. There was a team of religious attendants whose functions were to specifically care for the Deku Tree, which a few were stationed outside the main chamber just in case.

Then there was silence when Link felt a small poke into his ribs and returned to the scene before him. Zelda had regained his attention as she passed him to stand before the Deku Tree. When she bowed down to the priest, the princess formed her right fingers into a fist and pressed it against the space above her heart.

Once the priest had his hand above her, he questioned her, "Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to uphold your compassion and your consideration with all the children of Farore? Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to care for all citizens that call themselves Hyruleans? Will Your Highness solemnly swear to the utmost of your Courage to fight and defend all who are Farore's creation in Hyrule?"

"All of this, I solemnly swear to do."

"Let Farore judge you have you not."

In preparation, Zelda clasped both hands over her heart and tilted her head toward the Deku Tree. It started small at first, but then it became more noticeable that the wind was whistling inside. Then it reached the point where Zelda's heels were lifted off the altar by the slightest. For precaution, the priest gesticulated Link to watch from afar, which Link was doing with wide eyes. He knew that both rituals for the blessing of Din and Nayru had defied Nayru's laws of science, but the defying gravity princess was a sight he could not tear his eyes from. There was something he could not pinpoint, something about _this and her— _

The wind was much stronger now; the Deku leaves were flurrying so fast that the wind had taken the color of green itself. But Link could not see, only that the princess was far away now as though the stars in his eyes. When Link stopped right where Zelda was, his arms stretched toward her.

Her concentration was not in vain as the wind was able to hold her at level with the Deku Tree. Her eyes barely opened, Zelda reached out to pluck a budding blossom. The flower pressed against her heart, she was sent downward at a careful pace. However, the wind picked up speed once again and it was strong enough to rip the ribbon from her hair. A sound of disapproval left her lips, before Zelda leaned back in an effort to retrieve her ribbon. Instead, the ribbon escaped her grasp and the wind ceased completely. Impa noticed first and hurried toward the center tree, which was met with defiance from the tree's caretakers. Ezlo attempted to push past the caretakers and the priest grinned.

Screaming, the princess was dropped into the arms of her fiancé. As the flowers were ending their descent as well, Zelda and Link stared. Her gaze blue with bemusement, she blinked. His expression warm with wonder, he cupped the back of her head and tipped her face toward his.

Without the two noticing, the priest started, "Will Your Royal Highness solemnly_—"_

"Wah!-Wait!" blurted Link, startled, and tore his stare from Zelda. "I-I need to_—_"

"No, no, stay," interrupted the priest. His hand waved, motioning Link to hold the princess. He did not begin again until the princess regained her position bridal-style in Link's arms. "That's much better. Anyway_—w_ill Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to uphold your compassion and your consideration with all the children of Farore? Will Your Royal Highness solemnly swear to care for all citizens that call them Hyruleans? Will Your Highness solemnly swear to the utmost of your Courage to fight and defend all who are Farore's creation in Hyrule?"

With the princess in her arms, Link surely stuttered, "A-All, ah, I-I-I swore-_swear_ to _it_."

Strange, the priest didn't say anything else.

The princess was then finally allowed to be set back onto the ground. Confused, Link watched Zelda receive a painting that looked like the phases of the moon. But then Link realized how embarrassing it was for the priest to mark her upper breast and he looked away, blushing. When the priest drew the mark upon his heart, Link wanted to ask why he didn't have his ritual, but there was no words from the priest. Afterward, the priest allowed Ezlo and Impa to take their superiors' sides while he declared, "Both of Your Highness have received the three blessings of our heavenly mothers. Congratulation, Your Highness and Your Highness."

Totally taken aback, Link and Zelda expressed dumbstruck faces at each other, both thinking, _This wasn't written in the blessing lesson. _

**.**

After being stuck with Zelda for two hours, it was somewhat of an apparent absence when Link hasn't seen her for another two hours. For those few hours, he was prepped and pampered into a royal red tunic and dress trousers (which were surprisingly comfortable) for the actual wedding, which was going to be filmed for live television. Link had a feeling he would loathe the wedding when all eyes were on him. If he showed his hesitation when everyone could see, this could set a poor impression on the Hyrulean citizens. However, Link attempted to think of brighter sides, such that his grandmother and Aryll were allowed in the wedding. He could not contain his happiness to be able to see them for the first in such long months. But it had to be when he was finally locking himself to the Royal Family, as Princess Zelda stated herself.

"Your Highness."

Link turned, his smile brightened, but also tightened. "Yes, Ezlo?"

"Your Highness must speak with the priest."

"Alright," said Link and rose to a stand.

He was led out of a humble building outside the Temple of Time. Being married in such building was the highest and most exclusive privilege for most Hyruleans, with exception to the Royal Family who were always granted this right. There was a few times Link was granted inside, but it was for the wedding rehearsals which Link performed during his Crown Prince training. He hoped he could appreciate the temple during the wedding, but for now, he was instructed into the temple's gardens. Between the peonies and the carnations, there was a grassy area where two benches stood. On one of them was the priest.

His forehead furrowing, Link wondered why it was the same priest over and over again. Honestly, he expected a stout grandfatherly-type old man, but Father Lloyd was both barely older and taller than Link. His hand out, the priest was about to shake Link's hand, but the third person to their party stumbled between them.

"Zelda!" called Link, catching her with his arm.

The first glimpse of her was something that should had taken his breath away. However, a long veil covered her face and hair. Below, her official wedding gown was a deep royal blue, which Link didn't expect, along with a deeper blue shawl of lace and collared ruffles, which Link really didn't expect. Since the bodice was mostly covered, he steadied his bride and caught a peek at the gown's skirt. From afar, it appeared to be a traditional full skirt but, from a closer look, it was apparent that rupees might as well been sewed into the fabric as tiny, glittering sapphires were stitched into the deep blue fabric. From a spin of the skirt, Link caught the sunlight blindingly reflecting from the honest-to-goddesses gems, and he was glad the wedding took place inside the temple.

"I hate hate hate _hate_ this wedding," Zelda gasped, but it sounded more like a growl to Link.

"You're not the only one," he mumbled.

"Mornin', everyone!" The priest smiled accordingly to the ruffled couple before him. "How're we doing on this beautiful day?"

"I want you to feel what it's like to be squeezed into this antiquated corset and stuffed into this _stu-pid_, Gods-forsaken gown."

"I want to throw up."

"Wonderful." This earned no amusement from either side. Nervous, the priest folded his arms behind. "But have no worries! The Goddesses may not've planned today to y'all ideals, but all will end well. These wedding jitters are normal, I promise y'all." This time, the princess made a move to throttle the priest, but Link held her back. Oblivious, the priest pulled out a sticky note and, staring at the tiny page, he said, "Alrighty, so I just need to finish this quick run-through. First off, are you two of age to be married?"

"What idiot wants to get married at_ eighteen?!_"

"I would rather not marry at eighteen."

"Unfortunately, eighteen is marriageable age. Sorry, y'all." The priest frowned, tapping at his sticky note. "Secondly, do you have parental consent for your marriage?"

"This is all _their_ idea!"

"I have grandparental consent."

The priest took a moment to stare at either member. Princess Zelda was pacing in a circle with her veil furiously whipping about. On the other hand, Link was rubbing both the nape of his neck and his stomach. A moment passed as the priest sent a quick prayer to the goddesses for their hopeless children. "Last thing, are you related in a way which would prevent y'all from wedding in accordance with the law, specifically from your great great grandparents?"

Incredulous, the princess scoffed.

Link was thinking, before offering, "Maybe?"

There was no way on Din's green earth that these two were related. Smiling, the priest took a seat upon the bench. His fingers folded the sticky note in squares as he said, "I'm going to say that's a no for the both of y'all. Anyway, that's all."

Wedding jitters were twisting Link's gut, and he blurted, "Father Lloyd, do you have any word of advice?"

Perking up, the priest bounced to a stand with a wide grin. "Of course I do, Your Highness!" His fingers crooked inward, and Link listened, stepping closer to the priest. When he leaned in, his single word of advice to Link was, "Pray."

Link didn't think that was advice at all. But he didn't really have any other words of wisdom, so he smacked his hands together and squeezed his eyes shut. While jumbled pleadings were spilling from Link's lips, the priest turned to Princess Zelda who had ceased her pacing and stood stiffly. From behind her veil, Zelda was scowling at the priest who crossed the distance between them.

"Get the hell away from me."

"I have a message from the goddesses."

"Tell them I don't want to hear it."

"I speak for them, not for Your Highness." Rolling her eyes, Zelda dug her manicured nails into her clothed arms when the priest leaned toward her, just the same with Link. This time, he lifted a hand between his mouth and her ear, and he whispered, "They said seven years is a long time to sleep."

For a moment, Princess Zelda was still and silent.

Just as Link finished with his rushed prayers, he opened his eyes to see Princess Zelda holding up her skirts to silently jam her pointy heel into the priest's shin. Link could not believe his eyes when the priest slipped into a fetal position and then Link realized he should do something.

"Zelda!" he scolded and helped the priest to a stand. "You can't do that!"

Though they couldn't see, she scowled. "I just did."

"I don't—I can't—oh shoot, oh man, are you okay, Dad?"

As a muffled snort of amusement emitted from Zelda, the priest squinted in surprise. "What'd you just call me?"

Still holding the priest, Link blinked. "What did I just say?"

"Leave the maggot to rot and the wedding will cancel."

"Zelda, we _can't_ do that! The priest can curse you—"

"No, he can't."

"Your Highness, I can try."

"No, you can—"

"_What in Hyrule is going on here?!_"

The couple and the priest snapped their heads to Impa and Ezlo. The two advisers were appalled to hear an argument transpiring instead of a quick questioning. Seeing that the priest was somehow injured, Ezlo hurried over to check him as Impa asked, "Have you finished?"

With Ezlo and Link hovering, the priest stood and dusted off his cassock. "Yes, Miss Impa."

"Good," she answered, before taking Zelda by her arm and leading her out of the gardens. Behind them, Ezlo had taken Link's side, and Link pulled up beside the priest, whispering, "Sorry about that."

The priest smiled in return. "You're very kind for apologizing on the princess's behalf. Farore admires that about you." His statement left Link confused, and Link was about to ask for a further explanation when the priest added on, "And don't worry about calling me that. A young lady your age called me the same thing." Feeling better, Link laughed until he heard, "But then she added -dy at the end, so I'd reckon it was intentional."

_-dy? _Link thought, scratching his hair. _Why would dad and -dy together make a diff—oooooooooohhh._

"Your Highness!"

Link would have crashed into Ezlo hadn't the priest grabbed Link in time. Looking up, Ezlo stood before the two with an arm outstretched to the double doors of the Temple of Time. There were already crowds of the "commoners" who were barred several feet away from the front, and the majority were the piercing press. The royal wedding staff were prepared for this. As soon as the wedding couple stood before the doors, the servants rolled out a vast fabric screen between the couple and the crowd. The sunlight streamed from above, but the light was low enough that Link felt a little better.

Staring straight up, the priest said, "Ready to receive the goddesses' blessing, all at once?"

When he looked back down, he received a measly nod and from the other silence.

"Follow after me." The priest pressed his hands together and waited till the two before him did the same. "And repeat after me. _I have received all of thy holy favor from the Heavens of Hyrule. From our Heavenly Mother, Din, bestowed thee with thee arm of power._" The priest separated his hands so that one lied on his chest and the other moved onto his right bicep. Link and Zelda pressed one hand against the mark of Din as they repeated the last line. "_From our Heavenly Mother, Nayru who bestowed thee with thee head of wisdom._" As the couple said the same, they moved their hand upon the mark of Nayru. "_From our Heavenly Mother, Farore, who bestowed thee with thee heart of_ courage." For some reason he didn't know, Link's repetition carried more conviction than Zelda's as they pressed their fists against the mark of Farore. "_I believe in all that our Mothers in Heavens have created for our beloved Hyrule, and will continue to serve all that has been done._"

After the couple repeated the last line, Link and the priest were instantly urged into the temple. With one quick glance, Link could see that the maids were flocking over to Zelda to perfect her wedding attire. But then the double doors closed behind him, and the moment he set his eyes inside, he wish he didn't. It was like a sea of people with their eyes the waves that pushed backward to catch a sight of him. Ezlo had given a single word of advice, which was to keep his stare hard and straight onto the altar. Although his initial start was shock, Link followed Ezlo's advice and followed behind the priest to the altar.

On the first row to the right, Link threw away his protocol to grin widely at the appearance of his grandmother and Aryll. His grandmother appeared well and happy as she gave her soft smile and patted Aryll's hand. Beside her, his younger sister stuck her tongue at him, which Link wanted to return. On the left row was Zelda's parents, the King and Queen of Hyrule. The Queen was as stony as ever in her formal attire, but Link was amazed to see that the King smiled up at him. Before, Link had requested several times to visit the King of Hyrule, but he was denied every time. He could see why as the King was surrounded by several medical assistants, but he looked fine to Link. That was only appearances, however. Suddenly, Link remembered common courtesy to bounce onto the landing before the current monarchs and to sweep into a deep bow as Ezlo had taught him.

Afterward, Ezlo led Link back to the altar in time for Princess Zelda's entrance. But Link had thought that he heard a throaty chuckle. He had his suspicions when he swore to also hear his grandfather's name.

Finally, all eyes were focused onto the back as the the bride entered the temple. They had removed the screen so that the sunlight poured into her steps as she made her way to the altar. Some children were holding up her train, which Link thought to be some noble's kids, and there were some suited guys and dressy girls who Link didn't recall learning their name. Some kind of fancy stringed orchestra was playing behind the altar, which prompted Link to really wish for Zelda's earphones. Eventually, she made her way over to the altar where everyone and everything stopped in his eyes.

At long last, Zelda lifted her veil and Link suppressed his urge to laugh.

She really did listen to him. There was the tiniest touch of mascara, lipstick, and blush, but other than that, Link could tell the difference upon Zelda's bare face. She probably had to fight tooth and nail with the head make-up artist, and she thought it was somewhat worth the giddy smile curving his mouth.

When the official wedding ceremony began, everything moved in a quick blur. Waking up at 4 in the morning really hit him hard as well as the princess whose half-lidded eyes were lowering more so. They were paying attention when their wrists were tied together with ivory, gold, and burgundy cords; which the priest explained to significant respectively as partnership and happiness, sincerity and devotion, and prosperity and longevity. But then they blinked past the lecture for their duties as husband and wife, as king and queen. Sleepy still, they blinked past their vows to each other and to their kingdom, which they recited at least ten times to their mirrors. But then they were awakened by the heavy steps of the King of Hyrule.

The hovering help stood a few feet away the King took the priest's place. On one hand, Link was beaming up at the male monarch as on the other, Zelda could not keep meet his eyes. Silent, the King reached out his hand to the princess who reluctantly placed her hand on top. Then he placed his other hand on top of hers, and the princess made a child's petulant expression, which almost made Link choke on his spit.

Not letting go of Zelda's hand, the King stated in his deafening voice, "Sir Link Forria."

His back straight, Link automatically said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Do you promise to give yourself to my daughter, the Crown Princess Zelda, in loyal matrimony and in order to serve our Hyrule?"

With a deep inhale, he answered, "Yes I, Link Forria, promise to give myself to Your Majesty's daughter, the Crown Princess Zelda, in loyal matrimony and in order to serve our Hyrule."

"Then it is done." The King lifted one hand off Zelda's to pin a Triforce brooch onto Link's tunic. "You are now Prince Link Nohansen of Hyrule in name."

_Okay, _Link thought, _That's it? _

That was really it as the King gave one last squeeze to Zelda's hand, before making his way to the bench. In his place was the priest who was handed a gold goblet and a bottle of wine. Slowly, he filled the cup and Link tried not to make a face as he was handed the wine. Despite Zelda's beliefs, he did not drink alcohol with the girls and it was quite the opposite when he preferred children's juice pouches. His eyes squeezed shut, he took one sip and his innards recoiled at the bitter taste that was alcohol. On the other hand, Zelda was calm as she sipped the wine with unchanged apathy. The goblet was handed back to the priest and he stepped aside.

Then Link and Zelda retrieved a copy of their vows. It was printed on a tiny, rectangular paper so that it was more portable for a hawk. A little excited, Link resisted the urge to pet the intimidating bird as the bird handler attached their vows on each leg. The hawk was not to be released yet so the bird still settled on the handler's arm who was replaced by the priest again. The last step had replaced the exchange of rings for a more uncommon move to end the wedding.

"The hourglass is to symbolize the that time will pass inevitably, but the union between our future monarchs will continue for an eternity," the priest said as Ezlo and Impa handed the hourglass halves to their respective superiors. "This union is not only for between two people, but between our royal family and the people's family. Let the Goddesses continue to watch over her people who are all Hyruleans."

Link had the lower half of the hourglass so he just kinda stretched it out between him and Zelda. She placed her hourglass half on top and, together, they twisted their halves into becoming a full hourglass. They knew it worked when the grains of sand began to fall into the bottom.

Moments passed before the hourglass and everything else were cleared away from the altar. Finally, the priest was allowed to cut their cords. Breathing more easily, Link immediately pulled his hand to his side and rubbed his wrist. Zelda looked down as well, but she rarely did, and Link didn't know why.

The wedding finally coming to a close, the priest declare, "By the power vested in me from the holy Goddesses, I now pronounce you, Prince Link Nohansen-Forria of Hyrule, and Crown Princess Zelda Gladiolus Nohansen of Hyrule."

Link's first mistake was to make a move to leave, but then he realized he was missing something. Zelda had realized it much faster than Link did and it finally occurred to Link why she was looking down. To be certain, he checked with the priest who grinned and mouthed, "_Kiss her._"

_What?_

_Kiss—_

_I know! WHAT?_

In all honestly, Link did not expect his first kiss to be viewable for the millions of Hyrulean citizens. This was his worst nightmare. Silently breathing out in disbelief, Link flickered his gaze away from Zelda with his jaw agape, before he glanced back at the priest—who nudged his head toward the princess—and Link finally chose to forward Zelda and kiss her.

Princess Zelda was not the only one surprised when Link had kissed her cheek.

Having no choice but to accept that, the priest bowed his head which was followed by the wedding guests. A few moments into bowing, the wedding couple was allowed out the double doors, which was followed by the release of the ceremonial hawk and a flock of pure-white doves. After several moments, they were seated into a carriage with Impa and Ezlo in the front who directed the live horses. Excited, Link really did appreciate the use of animals in the wedding.

A few minutes into the ride, Link was told to wave at the people. They were his subjects from now on, which Link found hard to sink in. Princess Zelda was unquestionably used to these formalities as she graced the people with her serene smile. She even took Link's hand and waved it where people can catch a glimpse of their entwined fingers. But then Link perked up to see a certain sign.

To his disappointment, there were plenty of blow-up signs of his terrible, disheveled picture from the newspapers (Link attempted to laugh at himself, just to avoid crying), however it was the girls' sign that had him truly laughing. It was from their junior high graduation and the four of them smushed together with peace signs against their eyes. At that moment, Link felt a pang of amiable affection for the girls who had actually blew up a good picture of him.

"Link! LINK!_ LINK!_"

Upon the side of the street, the girls had gathered underneath the sign and waved at Link ecstatically. Their calling for his name was lost in the people's pandemonium. Tatl was correct that the schools had canceled the day for the Royal Wedding. In fact, most shops and markets were offering discounts or sales in celebration of the day's grand event. But the girls decided to send their support to Link as the new prince of Hyrule, however they were certainly not the only ones.

The girls' support was not in vain when as soon as Link caught sight of their sign, he raised his hand to form a 'V' and pressed it sideways against his eye.

Laughing at the girls' enthusiastic reaction, Link turned to Zelda who judged him with her narrowed eyes. Still in his good mood, he gave her a shrug. Zelda only rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the crowd. Thankfully, they had to entertain the outside audience for several minutes, before they were to reach the main Hyrulean castle for the reception. For now, Link and Zelda could finally release their exhausted breath and wait for the next gathering to start.

**.**

Link fell down with a _poof_.

By far, the wedding reception was Link's most favorite part as it involved a ton of gourmet food. Although he had to exert his table manners, Link had been a poor scholarship student, therefore he sure as hell was eating as much as he can. Of course, Zelda was accustomed to the food and barely touched her plate. Afterward, the newly wedded couple were led into the most massive bedroom Link had ever seen. Currently, Impa was talking to Zelda. His arms tucked into his formal robes, Ezlo stood behind Link who was falling quickly asleep on the bed.

"Your Highness."

"Mph, mmph?"

"Does Your Highness require anything for the night?"

Link turned his head, his mouth free. "No. I'm fine. Thank you."

"Then I will take my leave. Goodnight, Your Highness."

He closed his eyes. "Night."

After a few moments, there was the sound of the double doors closing after Ezlo and Impa. Silence was fine for Link who waited for sleep to take him in, but instead he felt Zelda shaking his shoulder. Irritated, she had to shake him a couple times, before he lifted his body with his elbows.

Drowsy, he mumbled, "Yes, dearest?"

That instantly earned him an effortless whack to his cheek. "Don't do that again," she warned. But her slap didn't hurt so Link didn't do anything else when she said, "Help me get out of this wedding dress from hell. And other stuff."

Link knew it wasn't an option to refuse his help so he forced himself up, followed her to the violet vanity, and stood over her. Her veil was long gone to reveal her messy bun and flower coronet. It came as a surprise for Link when Zelda had dyed her hair a spectrum of dark brown to white-blonde. In between the varying strands were orange and apple blossoms, which Link noticed that the sweet scent was still fresh. He couldn't help picking the coronet out first, interested at the intricate design, while Zelda peeled out of her shawl.

Now her wedding dress from hell was more complete to Link. He thought it was pretty, overall, but he was glad she didn't ask him for wedding dress preferences. He didn't know it was be that uncomfortable. His forehead furrowing, Link reached out to unbutton her when Zelda revealed blue buttons on her back. After unbuttoning all the way down, Link caught sight of that cursed corset.

"_Hurry_," she gasped.

"Alright, hold on a minute." There was a lot of criss-crosses as far as Link knew, and two ribbons when he thought there should be one. Taking a stab, Link first untied the bottom ribbon and stopped there. "Okay, I don't how what demons-work this is, but—"

"Here!"

Zelda handed him a jeweled hairpin, but Link wouldn't take it. He simply stared at it. Huffing, Zelda popped off the jeweled end to reveal a dagger inside. His mouth agape, Link took the hairpin-dagger and sliced through the ribbons from the top to the end. Thanks to his familiarity with blades, there were no cuts upon her back and Zelda was able to breathe in a great inhale.

Seeing that was it, he ran back to the bed when Zelda spoke, "You should prepare."

With a pronounced _poof_, Link lay back onto the bed and supported his head with his arms. "Prepare for what?"

Emotionless, she removed her earrings and said, "Consummation night."

Laughing, Link looked up at the painted ceiling. "Yeah, right."

"There is a consummation night."

"Like the night where couples consummate their marriage."

"Yes, consummation night."

"WAIT," blurted Link, sitting up immediately. His eyes were wide and focused on Zelda's back. "Consum-_what?!_"

"Consummation night."

"So we just gotta..." His voice trailing off, Link flustered and rolled onto his stomach. "This wasn't part of the Crown Prince Education."

Her eyebrows knitting together, Zelda gave him a look of disgust, before disappearing behind a folding screen. Link thought that was his cue to disappear as well. The nearest room was the bathroom, which Link practically hurried his way into.

At once, Link zeroed in on the nearest window and used all his strength to force it open. Unfortunately, it was not his strength that was the problem, but the unmovable lock on the window. "NOPE," he laughed and glanced at the toilet. "_Hell_ NOPE." His stare becoming shaky and desperate, Link spotted the air vent on the ceiling. It might be able to fit his body if he could get it open. Standing upon the porcelain sink, Link thought he could finally escape if his fingers could magically transform into a screwdriver. His shoulders slumped, and Link sat upon the sink with his head in his heads. "Nope, nope, nope, nooooooooo—"

He was cut off from a screech sounding much more distressed than he did.

Banging the bathroom open, Link yelled, "Zelda! Zelda, are you—?!"

"_What do you mean I have no change of clothes?!_" she snapped into the wall phone. There was a hesitant reply on the other end, before Zelda cut them off and laughed in disbelief. "So I'm going to have to sleep naked? Is that honestly an option for me? Tonight, the temperature is at its worst—I don't care about the heater, I just want my damn—"

Even for Link, he could hear the annoying buzz of someone who had hung up.

Zelda slammed the phone back into its hold. "Oh." She collapsed on the floor, still in her wedding dress. "My." Her forehead pressed against the wall and her hands covered her wet eyes. "Goddessses."

It was a truth that men didn't know how to deal with crying girls. But for Link—who had surrounded himself with crying girls all the time—it was a mystery that could be solved. Sometimes. Hastily, he dressed out of his formal tunic and, underneath, he unbuttoned his white dress shirt. Afterward, he offered his dress shirt to Zelda who looked up at him halfway teary-eyed. They said it was a truth that crying girls were also uglier, but Link thought she was still pretty. It was just that the sadness didn't compliment her.

Soft, Link said, "I know it's not that clean, but it's a lot more comfortable than sleeping in your wedding dress so... you can have it."

One hand rubbed her tears aside as with the other, Zelda accepted the shirt. Without his tunic and dress shirt, Link was naked from the waist up. Zelda's gaze was attracted to the focal point of his muscled body. Blinking, he glanced down and laughed, shyly covering the scattered scars of his torso.

"That? It's nothing."

And Zelda said nothing, only staring.

"Well, since you kindly asked, I got these from a home robbery or something. I was like 10 so I kinda repressed the memory, but my grandparents used to tell me that was a good thing. Apparently, I was a bloody mess and I think that was when I realized I wanted to protect myself. I really devoted myself to sword fighting. Or something, I don't know."

She still stared. Honestly, Link had no idea what she wanted to hear. But then Zelda sat up and moved back to the folding screen. It was weird to hear her undress, so Link focused on his undressing. He couldn't help his fumbling fingers as tonight was consummation night, he repeated in his head. Eventually, he stripped down to his underwear and decided time will take that off.

Just as Link wanted to reach for his trousers, Zelda appeared from the screen. Her long hair cascaded down to her lower back and it was really cool, Link thought, to see the mixture of colors in her hair. Really cool. Link tried not to think how fine she looked, only dressed in his dress shirt—which reached the middle of her thighs, he realized and thanked the goddesses—with the sleeves rolled up and she did have a tiny camisole underneath. Shaking his head, Link thought of something to say, but Zelda beat him to it.

"Why are you just in your undergarments?"

"I-It... It's easier like this?"

"Fine." She spent another moment staring at him, before motioning to the bed. "Help me."

By "help her", Link thought there was more stripping involved, but he simply helped her pull back the bed covers. There was at least four layers and Link finally understood why they wouldn't give her nightclothes. Then Zelda reclined upon the bed and, confusing Link, rolled over to his side as well.

His forehead furrowed, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Shut up." After Zelda rolled back to her side, she stood up again and tapped her lower lip. "I think this is good. Pick whichever one you want." Still confused, Link thought there should some sense to Zelda stripping off several pillows and two Gerudo-cotton blankets. Uncertain, Link randomly picked off pillows and blankets before dropping them to the floor. "Good."

Wide-eyed, Link watched as she slipped the hairpin from behind her ear. It was the same secret hairpin-dagger from before, but what would she use it for now? Instantly, Link's first thought was that Zelda also wanted out of consummation night and was going to kill him for it. But then he realized that would be a messy idea and gasped when Zelda dug the blade into the palm of her hand. After beads of blood had rose from her cut, she held out her hand with her bleeding palm facing the bed.

Disbelieving his eyes, Link ran back to his discarded trousers before coming back to her and reaching for her wound. Zelda would had wrenched her hand back, but somehow, Link brought out her handkerchief from the second time they met. However, Zelda thought that Link had returned it to her and that she had—

"I picked it up from the school trash, I know. But I cleaned it a thousand times, I swear, it's cleaner than me," mumbled Link who tied the cloth around her hand. With a neat knot, the handkerchief would staunch her blood for now. Quiet, Zelda retrieved her makeshift-bandaged hand and held it behind her. "That should stop it for now."

Silence.

"So should we get into bed now and—"

With her uninjured hand, Zelda had slapped him again. Flustering now, she cleared up for Link, "We're not consummating our marriage, idiot. You can't honestly be that dense? Really, Link? Didn't you see me cut myself to prove it?"

"To prove what?"

"Why do I even bother?" Ignoring him, the princess moved her blankets and pillows and dumped them into a windowed alcove. It was certainly cushioned enough for one to sleep so Zelda arranged her pillows and blankets, before heading into her "bed". Glancing back, she could tell Link was still waiting for an explanation, but she only called out, "Goodnight."

Since she didn't want to talk, Link prepared for bed as well. Thankfully, other than the bed, the bedroom had plenty of sleeping options. Link chose the largest sofa and laid out his pillows near the end, and spread the blankets across. Then he finally settled into his "bed" with one last glance to Zelda.

Sitting up, he chanced a peek over the sofa. The princess had certainly made her bed with plush comfort in mind as she was surrounded by pillows. Free-flowing, her hair splayed upon her feather cushions and spilled off the side. Link could tell she was already fast asleep from her gentle breathing and her body's rise and fall. But he still stared, seeing that the heavy curtains were pushed aside, allowing the night's moonlight to illuminate her sleeping form. It was a sight he could not look away from because he remembered.

_I remember—_

He could see that she was a princess, definitely, with moonlight pouring from the windows. She was older, perhaps 10 or 12. This time, he knew her eyes were blue, blue as the tears bubbling in her sympathetic stare, and she parted her lips to say, "_Do you want to, L__ink?_"

**.  
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**[tbc]**

* * *

**this was a half pain and half enjoyment to write lol. more of a pain though. hope you guys enjoyed :))) the priest is mine. next chapter previews an awkward first day as the royal married couple.**

**thanks for those reviews last chapter: **

**Doodle Ladle:** ur insights are great, wow, keep up with those pls. I actually like that comment... my story is part eloquent writing and the other casual/text lingo haha ❤

**cookiebee: **this is gonna be like 1329323247893575x more complicated than the manhwa/drama lol ❤

**ShadowNinja1011: **Zelda-slapping-Link scene(s) is included ❤

**FallegUlfur: **good is better than ok so ❤

**Chameleon Eyes: **ahhh sword-fighting guys will be making their official appearances next chapter &amp; ty for adding this story to your community ❤

**Generala: **there's a lot of hate but there will be the love too... ur very on point &amp; the queen has her reasons ❤

**xStella Lunax**: ty for turning ur PM on! tbh Link will be nice b/c he is just that very nice guy. big heart. big wedding. hope u liked ❤

**Guest:** ty! hope u keep reading! ❤

**TheSutcliff: **:))) ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	7. sin,

**6  
**

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**. . **

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**please read dear reader:  
this chapter has a little more ****risqué humor than the usual, so while I attempted to stay in the T-rating, _warning, warning, warning_, stupid suggestive conversation ahead**

**.**

"Link! _Hello!_ Get up!"

He didn't until he felt a yank on his arm that caused his tumble onto the carpeted floor. Thankfully, the royals knew how to spend their rupees with carpets. Raising himself by his elbows, Link was pretty sure he went through a cushioned fall when he didn't hurt anywhere. Besides the ringing in his ears that sounded more like—

"Hurry up!" There was another yank on his arm, this time, pulling him up. With a grumpy groan, Link stood up with the insistent help of his wife, Princess Zelda. "Oh my Goddesses, can you move any slower? They're going to come in any moment!"

Sleepy still, Link rubbed his eyes. "Who? What?"

Zelda clasped his wrist. "Come on!"

His head tipped back, Link stumbled behind Zelda. It made no sense to Link that she would wake him up only to fall back to asleep again. Somehow, she had already collected all her pillows and blankets—along with his as well—tossed across the bed. Then there was her half-clad figure already splayed upon the bed and Link was tempted to join her until he realized and exclaimed, "Dude, you bled there."

Her eyes closed, Zelda hissed through her sleeping smile, "Get in the bed."

"Blood is on that bed."

"It dried. Won't stain you. Get in."

"Blood—"

"Link, _I swear_ if you don't—"

Along with repeating rapping upon the double doors, the people behind called, "Your Highness! The morning has begun, Your Highness!"

At once, Link found no other choice but to throw himself upon the space beside Zelda. After she threw the covers over them, she yawned and gave her response laced with fake sleepiness. Then a combined group of the household help entered the room with their heads bowed. They only lifted their heads when Zelda raised her upper body in a very melodramatic move. Her arms stretched behind her hand, she blinked twice, before saying, "Good morning."

Giggling at Zelda's borrowed attire, the maids replied, "We bid Your Highness a good morning."

On the other side, Link covered his face with his hands as the other half of the help greeted, "We bid Your Highness a good morning, Prince Link."

Zelda was already slipping out of bed so Link removed his hands and sat up upon one elbow. The maids caught a peek of his toned torso and, erupting into giggles, they looked away as he exhaled through his nose and mumbled, "Morning."

"Shall we prepare Your Highness for a bath?"

_Why do they always ask me for a bath?_ Link thought, as he answered, "Nah, I'm just gonna hit the shower."

So while Zelda had headed into the bedroom's en suite bathroom, Link was directed to separate facility. He had to wait while the maids turned on the water themselves and laid out his clothes and towels. Afterward, he quickly stripped off his underwear, before hopping into the shower stall. Showering was honestly one of Link's most preferable activities when it was one of the few times where he wasn't being watched. Constantly under observation, constantly being judged, constantly receiving criticism—

With a sigh, Link broke off his train of thought. He turned off the shower with one hand and, with the other, he reached for his towel. It only took a few moments before he dressed into what was his standard "casual" attire. Fortunately, he was clothed in a more contemporary manner, which felt more like his school uniform. He was used to that.

Tugging at his tie, Link was once again directed elsewhere. Usually, he would have breakfast alone at this time. Instead, he ended up inside the backseat of a car with Zelda. After seeing her casual and disheveled last night, Zelda's fresh appearance came as a wake-up call to Link.

Frowning, he asked, "Hey... Uh, where are we going now?"

"Castle."

Forehead furrowed, Link looked up at the castle that they were leaving behind. "You sure about that?"

From the look on her face, he was one word away from being punched in the throat. Therefore he thought it was a better idea to shut his mouth. Zelda definitely thought it was the best idea when he swiped his head toward the window.

Even after watching the streets pass by, Link still had no idea where he was going. The Hyrulean Castle had been his home for the past months and he finally recalled Zelda telling him that wasn't supposed to be permanent. She had also mentioned the permanent location, but of course, Link couldn't remember for the life of him.

Not knowing what she'd told him was driving him crazy. He turned to her, his mouth parted in question. Just as Zelda irritably turned to him, their doors were opened.

"Rinku?" realized Link.

He hadn't seen him at all since the day before the wedding. Apparently, on that disastrous day, Rinku was assigned as the head of the security along with Raven and Rudrum who were taking extra precautions. Link had barely seen the three of them on his wedding day which felt like ages ago. But seeing them now had appeased his apprehension and brought a small smile to his face.

A few feet away, Raven and Rudrum smiled back as they bowed down as Rinku held the door, replying, "Welcome, Your Highness."

"Uhhh." Quickly, Link looked over to Zelda's side. Her own group of female guards surrounded her as she made her way into a palatial building, no regard to him. Looking up into Rinku, Link inquired, "Where are we?"

"The Lanayru Palace of Hyrule." His head bowed, Rinku stilled as Link exited the car with his head tipped toward the sky. The Lanayru Palace had been built with height in mind. From behind him, Link could hear Rinku say, "This will be Your Highness' permanent residence."

**.**

"And this is where you will share the living space with Princess Zelda."

Before Link was a colossal, circular area that he could not see the other side of. In the center was some kind of blue-green deciduous tree with a white-wood bench circling the trunk. When Link looked up, he could see that the area was more of an atrium what with the glass ceiling pouring sunlight from above. As Link walked around the perimeter, he noticed that all around was a sort of underground aquarium and that there were two rooms off to the east and west.

Link was kneeling to stare at the fishes beneath him when the suited posse were opening the double doors to the eastern room. Following them, Link hurried inside. His mouth dropping told the guards that his reaction was speechless.

"This..." His feet moving, Link was most attracted to the wall. He forced himself to swallow, before picking off a broadsword from its perch. After removing from the scabbard, Link fixed his eyes on the evident battle scars upon the blade. He gasped that this must be a real relic from sword fighting. "This—This is beautiful."

"Yes, it is," Rinku answered. As Link could not tear away his starry eyes, Rinku pointed out several things aloud. "Your Highness attire has already been selected, fabricated, and placed away in that room over there. The other door is for Your Highness washroom and there is another room for Your Highness silent studies. For any other necessities, Your Highness shall—"

"Dude." Rinku swiped his sight to the side where Rudrum had shook his shoulder. "His Highness is not listening at all. Let's just make him a map for now." In response, Rinku wanted to object to that, but Raven had agreed with Rudrum. The two of them were dragging him out of the room as Rudrum called out, "I'll give Your Highness a moment."

Link hadn't heard at all. He took several moments admiring the old-fashioned build and the sheer history of the swords. His grandfather had been a blacksmith after all, and told him of the blacksmith's basics for his grandfather reminded Link of his current condition. His mood dampening, Link returned the sword to its scabbard and plopped onto the floor. He didn't really know what to do with sword fighting that he was officially married to Princess Zelda.

There was a knock on the door, interrupting Link's thoughts.

Sitting up, Link answered, "Come in."

He was a suited man with a briefcase hanging from his right hand. Link had never met him, as far as he knew. His mind empty, Link opened his mouth but the suited man saved him the embarrassment.

He bowed. "Good morning, Your Highness."

"Good... morning?"

"I am the Royal Accountant and am here about Your Highness _assets_."

_I don't have any money,_ Link thought as he nodded and pointed out a seating area he just noticed. "Of course. Can we talk over here?"

It appeared the accountant didn't care for Link's informal tone and took a seat across from him. Silent, the accountant laid his briefcase onto the table before them, and pulled out one official-looking book. Meanwhile, Link was about to ask if he wanted something to drink when the maids came into his room with a tray. After the maid placed two cups of tea before them, the accountant cleared his throat.

"Your Highness, this—" The accountant gently pushed the thin book toward Link, "—lists all the lands, stock shares, insurances, and saving accounts owned by Your Highness, Prince Link of Hyrule. It also includes the details for Your Highness' family orphanage, which was included through the conditions. Please read through it carefully when Your Highness has the time."

Link had the teacup in his hands and so looked down at the book.

"I would appreciate for Your Highnesss to understand that the Hyrulean citizens have the tendency of minimizing how Your Highness spends. I'm aware Your Highness will have the impression that the assets are much too large to ever run out, however that is not the case. Your Highness must be careful." After saying nothing at all, Link managed a small sound of agreement. "Also Your Highness must be aware of Hyrule's economy. In the past, when the prices for fish decreased detrimentally, the Royal Family spoke to the people about including seafood into their meals. The Royal Family paid a visit to the fishing area to discuss the benefits of fish and that inspired the people to buy until the price for fish became stable again."

The Royal Accountant appeared proud of that fact, but Link bobbed his head. Fish was okay. However, he didn't look forward to eating an excessive amount of it when the prices came down.

"Now I must take my leave if Your Highness will pardon me." Looking up, Link finally had the book in his hand and then stood up as the accountant did. "Good day, Prince Link."

"Bye."

After the accountant closed the doors behind him, Link sat down again and flipped to the first page. There was basically a bunch of numbers and headings. Shrugging, Link skimmed through the pages until he saw the page for Kind Kokiri Homes.

"Holy... Holy... _Holy Farore,_" muttered Link. His eyes glued to the number, he downed the rest of his tea and stood up. Still incredulous, Link laughed, "This is the income for them? _This_. This? This?!" His laughter came bubbling up from his gut and he flopped back into his chair with his legs dangling and kicking over the armrest. "Man, this is like... like four times the normal amount... Oh my Goddesses, I have to call Grandma—"

As Link was searching for his phone, the book dropped to the floor. When Link picked it up, he opened to a page basically detailing the total amount of his assets.

Seeing the number, Link laughed again. The book dropped upon his face, but Link did not mind, only rubbing the pages against his forehead. In a stage of disbelief, Link laughed and laughed and his laughing dimmed down only for him to mumble to himself, "Started from the bottom..."

"Now he is there."

Removing the book from his eyes, Link smiled up at Ezlo. "Hey, man."

"Your Highness, I was informed that Your Highness were to be at breakfast."

"I was? Well, I'll be there soon."

"Shall I escort Your Highness?"

"Nah, it's fine." Link furrowed his forehead in thought. "Where's Zelda?"

"I was informed that Her Highness is resting at the moment. Her Highness will be joining the dining room shortly."

"Okay, I'll just wait for her then."

With that, Ezlo left Link alone. For another moment, Link reveled in the thought that he was most definitely the wealthiest person he knew, before placing the book onto a bookshelf. His room had the basic furniture—only in highest quality, fit for the future king—but he liked the wall of swords the best. With one last glance to his greatest collection, Link exited his room and entered the atrium. Without a moment of hesitation, he crossed over to the opposite room. It had to be Princess Zelda's room.

Link rapped his knuckles against the dark wood door, but no answer. His ear against the door, Link called, "Zelda? Hello? You sleeping?"

_Of course, she's sleeping, Ezlo just told me , _Link thought and whacked his own head. _I should wake her up for breakfast then. _

His shoulders straight, Link opened the door.

And once his eyes made a complete observation of her room, Link realized two things. One, Zelda wasn't in her own bedroom. Then two, she was a complete closet fangirl.

Probably with a help of an interior designer, the walls of Zelda's bedroom were decorated fashionably with fleur-de-lis and a plenitude of girl- and boy-band posters. She even invested in the pillows of HE70 and the mugs of Goddess Girls and her laptop had stickers of WINWAR's animated faces. Of course, her bookshelf had a few shelves dedicated soley to the albums. All of this had reduced Link to small snickers that were to threatening to overwhelm him.

However, Link coughed upon realization. The majority of her obsession appeared to be—

"What are you doing in my room?"

When he turned to her, Link immediately fired back, "Why is there so much Neri?"

Furious, Princess Zelda pulled Link out of her room before replying, "Why does it matter to you!?"

"Uh, well, I think it's my concern if you have a provocative poster of him in a bathtub."

"He has clothes on!"

Link scoffed for once. "The tub has water! His clothes are wet! You can see too_-too much skin!_"

"That's not the point. Don't you see that surface of the water is covered with lilies? He's holding up some of them!" Zelda gesticulated toward her room where the poster in question was hidden from them. "It's supposed to be provocative because it's an artistic statement."

"But I don't like that look on his face!" retorted Link. "You know those bedroom eyes are targeting you while you're sleeping."

Her mouth parted, Zelda was about to hit him with the facts, but then she closed her mouth. With one hand against her temple, she sighed. "Why am I having this conversation with you?" His hand against his mouth, Link finally broke down into a fit of low laughter. Hearing that, Zelda couldn't help herself and laughed as well, almost too quickly if Link wasn't paying attention. "Idiot." When she turned to leave, she added on, "I'm still keeping Neri there."

**.**

After their first quiet breakfast together, Link and Zelda had to attend school. Normally, they would take separate cars. Now that they were husband and wife, they were to demonstrate a humble public image. Good publicity on their first day back to school as a married couple, Link was told.

There were far too many car rides with silence that Link was used to it. He was also accustoming to the mass of people surrounding the cars, with their yelling and their cameras flashing. It was routine for Zelda who was the first to elegantly slip out from her seat after Link and to walk the path her guards secured for her. Beside her, Link was having a hard time when most questions and cameras were directed toward him.

But, with the help of the suited posse, he managed anyway.

Once he made it past school doors, Zelda instantly parted away from him. He was about to call her back when he heard someone calling, "Hey, Prince Hourglass!"

The owner of the voice thankfully turned out to be Navi. Beaming, she took his arm as Ciela took the other. Tatl and Proxi were talking to another and gave Link a small greeting. They all were headed to Oil Painting class as they were kind enough to wait for him past the tardy bell.

But the strange thing was more than half the class came in after Link.

"Hey, Navi," said Link. They were angling their easels around each other as they usually did. Those that came in late were now edging close to their group, which Link ignored. Trying to, he whispered, "Navi, why'd you call me that?"

"Call you what?" Navi stared down at her canvas. As far as Link knew, it was some upcoming actor that Navi must had started a new obsession for. "Oh! You mean Prince Hourglass?"

"Yeah, that."

Joining in, Proxi explained, "Because of that whole new hourglass thing. It was supposed to be an exchange of rings, but everyone was surprise to see an hourglass, like it was cool and all, but can you like keep it on your finger?"

Just as Link realized he didn't have a ring, Ciela added on, "And I have my deepest faith in you, Link, but I've heard they're calling you Prince Hourglass because..." She trailed off, debating whether to tell him, and Navi nudged her to continue. "... well, because your time as prince is running out."

"Oh."

"But I believe you'll do perfectly fine, Your Highness." Ciela smiled in encouragement.

"Yeah, just fine!" chorused Navi and Proxi.

Surprising Link, Tatl finally joined in with her eyes on her canvas. "Just keep your head up, Prince Hourglass."

They all some sort of smile on their faces so Link flashed a grateful grin. "Thanks, girls." Then they resumed their usual Oil Painting class habits, which were to bring out their phones and their snacks behind the easels. As Proxi handed Link a handful of potato sticks, he started their favorite pastime of gossip. "Guess whose Zelda's main in WINWAR?"

Immediately, Ciela offered, "Neri."

"No, it has to be Quill. Or eLLi," mused Navi.

"Or Agatha." Proxi stole a snack from Link's handful, chewing thoughtfully. "She would like the prettier ones."

Almost to herself, Tatl muttered, "Definitely not my brother."

"Got 'em," snickered Link as he nudged Ciela. Triumphant, she smiled. "How'd you know?"

There was an air of modesty about her as Ciela said, "Being more intelligent than the norm is a sort of beauty to others. I thought Zelda was just one of those people." That was what along the lines of what Zelda said to Link. Nodding understandingly, he listened as Ciela continued on, "Besides they advertise his face too much to properly show his great vocals. His voice sounds more like her type anyway."

"Her type?"

Tilting her head, Navi clarified, "Zelda has a preferred singing type because she's—"

Wide-eyed, Tatl shut Navi up with one hand as she inquired hastily, "Link, do you even know what she's doing at our school?"

Link rubbed his temple, his eyes skyward. "The arts of burning people with hurtful words?"

"Not... exactly."

"He did say arts though."

"Link," Proxi started, holding him by the shoulders. "She's a singing major."

His hand dropped into his lap. "Oh... I-I just... wanted to know that you girls knew."

Saving him from further embarrassment, Ciela rolled her stool beside him and asked, "So how's married life?"

He looked up at Ciela with a small smile. "It's only day one, but it could be better."

"She still hates your guts?" Navi shook her head.

"Hate is too much of a strong word."

"Okay, so she still doesn't like your guts?"

His hand lifted to scratch his hair. "I don't know what to do, girls."

Hearing that, the girls offered their suggestions all at once,

"Learn how to sing like Neri!"

"Dance with us more like Neri!"

"Study more like Neri!"

"Eat like Neri, sleep like Neri, breathe like Neri, basically become—"

"Girls in the back!" All too used to their instructor's nagging voice, the girls lazily turned around. "Stop talking for once and finish those paintings! They're due the end of the week! My Goddesses, if only they were model students like Princess Zelda..."

**.**

Link looked forward to sword fighting period. For the past months, he had his co-captain covering for him since Crown Prince education ate up his time. The royal regime was easing up on him a little after the wedding, but he was allowed to captain. For now, at least.

Usually, the sword fighting members would inside the locker room as Link would bring out the equipment. After opening the storage doors, Link bent down to gather the uniform armor. But Link heard the people shuffling into the room and closing the doors behind them. Slowly, Link stood up with the armor in his arms. Looking at each of his members' faces, a bad feeling began to drop in his gut.

Eyes darting, Link laughed, "Guys...?"

"Hey, Captain." An unattractive toothy smile met Link's strained expression. "How was last night?"

Link blinked in rapid succession. "I don't know what you mean, Jagar."

"Of course, you do, Captain." Another member edged beside Jagar, smiling easily as well. "While we're in academia hell, you can entertain us about your time in blessed heaven?"

"What are you talking about, Clint?"

A shorter member brought up, "We shouldn't mess with Captain like this."

"It's fine, Piggy. Our Captain won't die of it." Clint beamed, throwing an arm over Link's shoulder. Jagar did as well, and from his druggy stench, Link turned his face to Clint. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, Captain?"

"Last night...?" repeated Link and he stepped away. Without trying to alert the other members, he strode to the door with his expression pensive. "Oh, that's right, I just—" Link cut himself off to open the doors but it appeared to be locked. His eyes wide, he turned to his members instantly. "You guys! You guys locked us all in here?!"

"Of course not, Captain." One member seated upon a tower of mats, his legs crossed. "How dumb do you think we are? Hey, Rikken, hear us loud and clear?"

On the other side of the doors, there was a reply, "I still think this is unfair to Captain."

"Yeah, sure, whatever, the floor is yours, Captain," Clint chuckled.

"Last night!" finally realized Link. "Oh my Gods, you mean—"

The boyish grin on their faces was enough for Link to kick the doors. A futile attempt, Link shouted, "Rikken! Open the door for Goddesses' sake! Where's Darek?"

"Sorry, Captain, I can't..."

Speechless, Link turned around with his back against the doors. "Oh Gods."

"First—"

"Oh no."

"—how was she?"

His fingers pressed against his temple, Link breathed out slowly. "I don't have to say anything."

Honestly, Link couldn't have said anything at all. After all, it was a sham. There was nothing much for Link to say at all. Did they wanted to know how her cheek felt against his mouth? That was all Link could possibly reveal to them.

"Yeah, but then we'd be stuck here til practice is over." Jagar shrugged.

"Don't do this to me, guys."

"Just five minutes!"

"Yeah, Captain, just five minutes! That's barely anything!"

_There was barely anything,_ Link thought as he crossed his arms. He sighed. "Five minutes."

Sitting like good little children, the members eagerly took their seat around the storage room. Link couldn't help rolling his eyes like Zelda did. And then he thanked the Goddesses that he remembered her. With his hand up, he said, "Guys, whatever I say in this room stays in the room."

"Whatever Captain says in this room stays in the room," they repeated.

The member sitting upon the mats yelled, "It's a bromise!"

"Okay, Henry, I'm talking now." For emphasis, Link cleared his throat. The boyish grins spread across their mouths as Link inhaled deeply, before revealing, "I put my thing into her thing and then that's it."

Silence.

"Captain!" Henry raised his hand until Link pointed at him. "Captain, how old are you?"

A rumble of boys agreeing sounded around the room.

"C'mon, this is Princess Zelda we're talking about!" crowed Clint. "There is no way in Hyrule that you don't have anything to say!"

"Well... Well..." Trailing off, Link fixated onto a window on the opposite side. He could try to escape through there, but not with several young men in the room. Still, Link stared hard at the outside. There was a green area where two female students were eating lunch under a tree. One of them was opening a sort of pastry. "Uhh... She-she was—" The student bit into her food, which was a warm and fluffy cream bun. "—hot."

The members 'oohed' in response.

"Uhh-um-uyeah, she was really hot... Like steaming," Link said. But he was thinking, _Goddesses, these rich girls can afford bread fresh out of the oven?_ Still staring, Link watched as the girl fanned her cheeks from the freshly baked bun. "And sweet and fluffy—"

"Fluffy?" Piggy interrupted.

Frozen, Link tried to explain, "Her hair is really soft, like the fluffy kind, like a fluffy cat or—"

"The woman, please!"

"Right. Uhhhh." His forehead furrowing, Link shook his head at the girl. She had no idea how to properly eat a cream bun. With a click of his tongue, Link commented, "White... White, creamy skin, and she had like cream everywhere—"

"_Captain!_"

"Captain, you are _so_ sick nasty!"

Upon realizing what he said, Link felt the heat rise to his head. At once, his hands raised to cover his blushing face and the guys roared in laughter as they pounded proud smacks to his shoulder. After that comment, Link thought that should be the end of it but everyone heard the womanizer call out, "How were her boobs?!"

_Godsdammit Clint._

"I-I-I—" Once again, Link was focusing outside. The second girl appeared to be eating an assortment of fruit and she forked a grape to her mouth. His mind not registering, Link tilted his head and said, "Grapes?"

Again, the guys were guffawing as a team.

"No! No, I meant—" Squinting outside, Link saw the girl pick up another fruit, "—I-I meant watermelon!"

This time, the guys were silent, before patting him on the shoulder. His eyes wide, Link heard them commenting on how they thought Princess Zelda "always had a nice rack" and they even congratulated him. Link didn't even know why he was smiling anymore. One reason could be that the guys were finally heading to the opened doors and they even picked up their armor and equipment. After the last member smacked his arm, Link sunk onto the floor with his head in his heads.

He was praying that the members took the "bromise" to heart.

"Captain?"

Lifeless, Link looked up.

"Oh. Hey, Darek."

The co-captain grinned with sharp teeth. He offered a hand to Link who took it weakly and helped Link to stand. Afterward, the captain raked his hands through his hair multiple times while crying, "Darek, where were you?!"

A frown lined his lips. "Apparently Bubby twisted his ankle so I took him to the infirmary. But there's no injury so I came back as soon as I could."

"Did you—they should—_argrah_."

Watching him, Darek smiled. "I heard."

"It was all goatcrap."

"I know."

"Why didn't they know?"

"They think you're quite the slayer."

Link rubbed his temple. "I don't think so." From the side, Link gave him a glance. "Did you ever...?"

He was shocked to see that Darek smile and shrug.

"_Dude_, dude, dude..."

"Captain! Hey, Captain! We got Nationals coming, come on, c'mon!"

**.**

_Well, that first day couldn't had gotten any worse, _Link thought.

But then immediately after school, Link and Zelda were led into a parlor where Impa and Ezlo stood beside each other. Puzzled, Link took a seat on a sofa as Zelda took the farthest armchair. The both of them thought they were to be lectured of spending time together or something along those lines. And they were right.

Carefully, Impa lowered the hourglass. Staring at that, the couple were confused to hear Ezlo explain, "The hourglass is a sign of your union and now it is an instrument for that exact cause as well. Of course, the hourglass measures by the hour and that is the time you two will be together."

"What."

"_What?!_"

Impa's narrowed look was directed to Princess Zelda as Ezlo continued, "Each and every day, Prince Link and Princess Zelda will pass an hour in each other's presence. This is for the better of Hyrule that Your Highness find time to be together in both of Your Highness busy schedule. So we have arranged this time so that Your Highness will be on common ground."

"There is one rule and that is you may not leave." Her fingers dexterous, Impa flipped the hourglass to start the timer. "Begin."

Fortunately, Impa and Ezlo left the room. Link wasn't certain that he could get Zelda to talk to him, and he'd rather not let Ezlo witness his humiliation. Curious, Link peeked a look at the princess who picked up a random book. Of course, she'd give the sign that she had no intention to speak to him. Still, Link opened his mouth and decided to talk,

"So today at school, I met up with the girls, right, and we were in Oil Painting class—"

His sentences ran on and onward, but Zelda did not respond. It was utterly useless when Link finished through his entire school day up until their current situation. Nothing had even come close to stop her from flipping the pages or even budging her gaze from the book. But Link knew. The longer he stared at her quiet figure, it became crystal clear to Link that he could get her to talk.

"I remember you."

Out of everything he said to her, this was what triggered her eyes to move to his.

"I know it's you this time," continued Link and he kept his stare with her. "Because your eyes are blue. It's dark but I know for sure that her eyes are blue. And she's older now. Maybe 9 or 10... She's crying like the last girl. But then the last girl was crying because she needs help. And this time, she's crying because she wants to help me..." Trailing off, Link thought for a moment in silence. "It's really weird but when I remembered... I-I _hurt_. It was really faint and really fast. It wasn't even a pain, just a weird numbness like—like—"

"Enough." At once, Zelda rose to a stand, but the move was shaky. "You're not thinking straight."

But Link retorted, "You're not listening to me!"

"Why should I?" she scoffed. "You're the one speaking nonsense!"

"It's not nonsense, it's real!"

"You're mixing reality and hallucinations, Link! Enough with it!"

"It's not a hallucination! I'm not crazy, I know what I'm talking about!"

"Listen to me, I'm telling you know it's not real!"

"And I'm telling you, it's my memory so I know it _is_ real—I know you—"

"_NOO—you don't know me!_"

Silence.

Then the last grain of sand joined the bottom half, prompting the timer to ring. Unblinking, Link glanced at the hourglass. The hour was up.

Instantly, Zelda was out of the room.

Instantly, Link collapsed with his head in his hands.

Farther away, the princess was running. The palace help were baffled that the princess chose to run since that was against Crown Princess protocol. But they thought it was an emergency if she had headed toward Impa's quarters. And they were correct when the princess burst through Impa's study. Her caretaker was in the middle of a discussion with Ezlo.

At the princess' pinked and panting expression, Impa asked him, "Could we resume this at a later time?"

Wordless, Ezlo nodded and calmly made his way out of Impa's room. Always, he gave a quick bow to the princess, before leaving the two alone. After the doors closed securely after him, Zelda rushed and fell to her knees before Impa. Her caretaker had worry lines around her sober stare as she gently placed her hands upon her shoulders. They quaked underneath her palms, inciting Impa to speak to Zelda in a soft inquiry, "Zelda, tell me what happened?"

"Please." The princess looked up at Impa, on the verge of tears. "Impa, please help me."

"Help Your Highness with what exactly?"

"Help me stop him."

The smallest of surprise passed Impa's eyes. "Zelda... Don't tell me he's—"

"Yes, he is." Her eyes closed as she admitted, "Link, he-he's waking up."

**.**

**. .**

**. . .**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**a shorter (not really), quicker update to ease that long, long wedding. Clint, Ragar, Rikken, and Piggy belongs to Chameleon Eyes and Bubby from Stellax Lunax! next chapter previews Zelda's next plan of action aka a nice surprise y'all finally getting. **

**THANKS for those reviews last chapter y'all hella rad:  
**

**PianoPlayer1200: **the ceremonies were a pain so glad u liked that &amp; the priest :D the zelink relationship fluctuates but it'll get better just not too soon ❤

**cookiebee:** ty for pointing those out &amp; Farore is just picking favorites w/ Link ❤

**ShadowNinja1011: **gold is good ❤

**Axcel: **Link should had done that lol and while I do appreciate the logical perspective, there's no 100% way to tell or not... except Zelda's word, which she sure as hell is gonna say she did the do ❤

**Guest: **k ❤

**ThePredicate: **the first memory is at the end of chapter 4 &amp; ty ❤

**Stellax Lunax: **I got ur heart eyes emoji ❤∧❤ lol glad u got through it! and don't say they dislike each other... at least Link doesn't. ahhhh I promise this will be bleeding zelink but it just takes time and build-up ❤

**Chameleon Eyes:** you're welcome! tysm I really did try with the ceremonies and Link's characterization and everything. um Zelda noticed Link's bod is hella hot but she stared b/c it was hella hurt :( and she does want she wants, kicking religious figures if she wants ❤

**RageMuffinz**: TY. and burn my muffin? ❤

**keiko852: **sweet B) ❤

**TurtleCopter: ~**yay ❤

**DoodleLadle: **hey a late review is better than no review so :D glad u liked the priest too! and pervy is a-okay ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	8. honestly

**8**

**. . . **

**. . **

**.**

**.**

Just as Link thought it couldn't get any worse between them, he'd spoke too soon.

Hourglass time wasn't the only hour he was required to spend with her. Breakfast and dinner were inevitably included as well as public events that were awaiting both their presences. However, for that night, Princess Zelda skipped dinner with him—intentionally, Link knew, but Impa reasoned it was fatigue—and she had no intention of making breakfast easy for him.

When she entered the dining room, Link was already seated. His voice almost unheard, he said, "Good morning."

Taking her seat, she replied, "Good morning."

Then she picked up a slice of jam-slathered toast and ate. It was obvious enough that Link shouldn't speak to her, but when he looked down at his plate, he cracked a small smile and asked, "Do we have to eat like this every time we eat?"

Bemused, Zelda moved her gaze from her plate to his. There was no difference from what they ate since neither of them requested anything special. But Zelda thought it was simply special the way Link blindly chose the fruit fork to slice his bacon. Motioning the palace guards to help him, Zelda explained, "It's the way it's been done for generations, Link. It may be cumbersome to differentiate dining utensils for different types of food and to report daily about the meal's condition, but it will become routine for you." With her fruit fork, she stabbed a circular piece of banana. "It became routine for me."

Honestly, Link had been trying to get the hang of this for weeks, but he had been making slow improvements.

Still, he declined the guards' help and made an effort to go with what he knew as he also reached for a banana, this time with the correct fork. Just as he fit the piece into his mouth, Zelda opened hers to say, "I'm dropping out of the academy and resuming my tutoring sessions at the palace." Her eyes on her plate, she added on, "I only attended to meet you, which proved to be unsuccessful in the end."

His jaw dropped, but Link quickly closed it when he had mushed banana inside. After swallowing, he had to reason with her, "But this is our last school year."

As Zelda changed her forks, she responded, "Contrary to the people's belief on education, we still have much to learn after we supposedly graduate." A moment passed as she ate a tomato slice with the correct fork. "My academics will be most efficient if I return to my one-on-one teachings."

"But..." Trailing off, Link tried to catch a hint of reluctance upon her face. "But what about your friends?"

Curious, Zelda met his eyes. "Friends?" Her hand holding her chin, she smiled sardonically. "I don't need such trivial things." The shock widened his eyes and her smile dimmed. "I was raised in a completely different environment from those that we call our peers. Because of this, they and I, the way we think at least, they're too different. I don't believe in the slightest that they actually know who I am."

"But... But don't you think you're going too far?"

Narrowing her eyes, Zelda prepared for her defense. "What is too far?"

Placing his dining utensils down, Link muttered, "You're leaving the academy now because you're married to me, right? But you also trimmed down your guards and you left the main Hyrulean castle because you're married to me." His hand folded in his lap, Link attempted to keep his eyes with her. "I feel like something that could be bartered and bargained with. It's not very... _nice_."

At this, Zelda emitted a genuinely amused chuckle. Her lips still curved, she lowered her hands into her lap as well. "Do you honestly believe you have the right to say that?"

He froze. "Wh-Wah-What?"

Nonchalant, Zelda admitted to Link, "I'm aware you married me for money." His hands folded into fists when Link knew that statement was correct. "You had to hear it for yourself that your family's orphanage will be saved from the mouth of Her Majesty, the Queen. In order for that to happen, wouldn't you say you were asking money from the Royal Family?"

"I—"

"Don't get me wrong, this is all from what I've heard." She was still smiling brilliantly and Link thought that it was always the most beautiful people that were the most dangerous. "I always thought you were a blind-folded fool. But you proved me wrong. You knew just what exactly you were getting yourself into, weren't you?" Unable to tear his gaze away, Link wanted to reply but there felt something like shame blocking his throat. "I saw the Royal Accountant visit you yesterday. Tell me, how many figures are in your bank account now? And—honestly—how did it make you feel?"

The silence that permeated the air was something that did not help Link's inability to speak. It was no longer the humiliation that took his voice, but a mixture of others. Mostly of exasperation as the emotion filled his throat and his voice returned like whip. "You're not so self-entitled to speak so rudely to me."

The princess rolled her eyes. "It's called honesty."

"Fine." His face flustering, Link suddenly rose to his feet. "If we're being honest to each other, I can say I didn't marry you because I liked you. You're right. It was the money." He didn't know why but his eyes were reddening and he turned to the side, sniffling. "After seeing the new income for the orphanage, I thought I was making the right choice. Since I like money more than I like you, I might as well earn an advantage and help my poor family."

Link paused, trying not to look at her, but the princess was no longer smiling.

"You know Darlene from _Trap of Soul_?" Zelda simply blinked. It didn't matter as Link barreled on, "Her life is the life I want to live! I picked you as my wife just so I can live in riches and luxury and then I'll take half your money and marry someone whose richer than you!" Now, Link was completely red with rage as he turned to leave, but before he did, he yelled at Zelda, "So you better watch your back, _my dearest_!"

After Link hurried his way out of the dining room, Zelda called for Impa. Stoic, her caretaker entered the dining room and bent down to listen to the princess' inquiry, "What's _Trap of Soul_?"

Almost running, Link hastily made his way back to his room. The suited posse were hustling behind him and were smart enough not to mention the argument. They were also smart enough to stay behind and close the double doors behind Link after he stormed into his room. He made no move away from the doors. Rather, his back slid down the polished wood until he was sitting upon the floor. The back of his head banged against the door as his eyes squeezed shut. With one hand, Link pinched the space between his wet eyes, muttering, "Goddesses_ dammit_."

**.**

A few moments after calming himself down, Link received a text from the girls. It mostly composed of apologies, but the reason for it was because of their absence. The girls were allowed to miss school when they were applying for professional dance studios, just as Link was allowed days off for sword fighting tournaments. But for today—Link would had to spend his whole day both alienated and stalked.

Because the suited posse knew of the day's earlier event, they were able to persuade Ezlo to delay Link's school day for a few hours.

Unfortunately, Link arrived at the academy several minutes before the lunch period.

"Shoot me," he muttered. He was holding his tray of lunch—since the girls were gone, he had to actually buy his own meal, which he hadn't done for ages—and appeared like a new student with lost eyes. "Who do I sit with n—"

Fortunately, whoever bumped into him wasn't running at full speed. It was a clumsy collision, but Link still held onto his food-filled tray and, turning around, he was glad to see that they only dropped a few mandarin oranges. He was also glad to see a familiar face who wouldn't ambush him upon his royal presence.

Kneeling with her, Link said, "You alright, Poppy?"

Honestly, he couldn't get over how alike her appearance was to his wife. Although the warm innocence upon her face was a great contrast from Zelda's cold indifference, and even her voice was warm as she replied, "Yes, I am alright. Are you unharmed, Link?"

He shrugged, handing her a mandarin. "My wife thinks I'm a gold-digger and my squad left me all alone so I have to eat by myself because everyone else is watching and judging, but _hey_ it could be worse."

"Oh. Oh my." With a mandarin in her hand, honest-to-goodness sympathy brightened Poppy's eyes and the first words in Link's head were _sweet pure cinnamon bun. _Accepting another fruit from Link, Poppy suggested, "I do not believe I can fix your first and second issue, but I would like to extend an invitation for you to dine with me?"

"Really?" Link wiggled his eyebrows. "You can't take that back."

Watching him, Poppy couldn't help a little laugh. "You do not have to worry about that." Link grinned widely and she mirrored him. "I have to say that I believe I could had been of assistance to you with the issue of the princess."

Poppy started to move so Link followed her. "Why?"

"For the lunch hour, Zelda usually dines with me," confided Poppy. "But she had told me that she will be leaving the academy this very week." Link knew that, but he didn't tell Poppy that. He also didn't want to tell that his wife probably didn't consider her as her friend. "She was apologetic, but she said she would like to use her very limited lunch times to pursue another activity."

As Link opened the doors for them, he inquired, "What activity is that?"

She paused in the outside. "She did not tell me."

_Figures_, Link thought.

Then Poppy walked over to a secluded patio where a overhanging tree served as shade. The few tables were vacant and Poppy sat in one wicker chair. It was obvious to Link that her lunch was her abundance of mandarins. Laying down his tray, Link took the seat opposite hers and offered Poppy some of his food, who declined. So he bit into his sandwich as she said, "I believe many has passed since the last we had spoke?"

"That's ah unda-sta-men'," Link muttered with his mouth full. After chewing thoroughly, he said, "Honest to gods, I'm really sorry, Poppy. I just got really busy with being prince and all that I forgot I was still a high school student."

She nodded, twiddling with an orange skin. "I do not blame you."

"But I didn't forget about the milk candy!" Link was so caught up with that thought that he did not see the confusion upon her expression. "Man, during Crown Prince Education, that stuff was so tough and it was nice that you remembered that I liked milk candy! Zelda told me that you sent it to me and those were just—man, my childhood..."

As Link trailed off, Poppy piped up almost inaudibly, "But I did not know you—"

A call cut Poppy off as she and Link moved their heads toward the voice's source. Shocking Link, he heard the call as something _not_ in modern Hyrulean, along with Poppy responding in the same tongue. It also struck Link that the newcomer's voice was someone he definitely knew. And it was confirmed when the person who came running up to them was none other than his sword fighting co-captain.

Darek wasn't at the least surprised as he made his way next to Poppy and dropped a can of cold tea before her. Smiling, she still spoke in the foreign language, but she sounded as though she was thanking him. Link would bet on that. It was blatantly obvious by the satisfied smile upon his co-captain's face.

_Homeboy doesn't look like that unless we're murdering the rival team, _Link thought and bit into his sandwich again.

"Hello, Captain," Darek greeted, smiling the usual way with bared teeth. Link did that tipped nod of acknowledgement as Darek dragged a chair directly next to Poppy and he asked, "Not with the girls today?"

"Not today." Link stared at him while he chewed. "Dude, you didn't tell me you could speak Gerudo?"

At first, Link spotted that Poppy brightened and was about to say something, had Darek not replied himself. "You forgot already, Captain? That I was taking Gerudo Language?" Both Link and Poppy blinked with bemused stares. "Do you even remember that our academy offers it?"

"It does...?" mumbled Link, mostly to himself.

Darek sighed, although amused by his small smirk. "Anyway, I'm taking the advanced class right now and Poppy transferred into it." She nodded to confirm but the puzzled look in her eyes did not dim. "Since she's a native Gerudo, it's a lot easier to learn from her than from our teacher. He doesn't know jacksh—shoot," Darek quickly amended after feeling fingers pinch into his elbow. He threw a sideways glare toward Poppy, but Link knew there wasn't actual irritated intent. He would know. "So she's leveling up my Gerudo while I help out her Hyrulean. Modern lingo and stuff confuses her."

"Rubbish," retorted Poppy. But Darek chuckled and she gently placed her hand on his open mouth, before saying to Link, "I know all that are waist."

"Waist?" guffawed the boys.

"Is it not waist?" Her Gerudo accent slipping in, Poppy tried again, "Or is it lip?"

"It's hip, Poppy." Darek snickered into his fist. "I haven't heard that word in ages."

Flustered, she raised her fingers to Darek's mouth again as fascination shined in Link's stare. "No way." Both Poppy and Darek were take aback with Link's reaction. "No way, hey, Poppy, were you trying to speak without it? Your Gerudo accent, I mean."

Both her fingers and her gaze dropped. "Yes, I try to mask it."

"Hey, don't do that. I think it's cool! Right, man?" Link directed that over to Darek.

Nodding, he replied, "Right." But then he lowered his mouth, closer to Poppy, and whispered to her in Gerudo. Her face scrunched up in irritated embarrassment, before she replied back in the same quick tongue. Darek only grinned and appeared to effortlessly respond in Gerudo as well.

Watching this exchange, Link suspected that Darek's Gerudo was good, almost _too_ good to be true. But the longer he scrutinized his co-captain, the more he believed him. Darek couldn't be a native Gerudo, not with his not-tan skin (the opposite being very very pale as if he stayed in the basement for thirty years) and his not-amber eyes (more like on the scarlet side, which gave everyone the heebie-jeebies) and his not-red hair (although he did have that Gerudo long-ass-literally-down-to-his-ass hair but it's all pale white like his complexion and piled up in a man-bun. for sword fighting purposes of course) and the fact that he was blatantly male. Didn't the Gerudo race only bear woman?

"Hey, Poppy," started Link.

Her heated conversation with Darek came to a pause as she turned to Link with a smoothed smile. She said something back and Link would be paying attention if he hadn't realized another thing. For the daughter of the Gerudo tribes leader, Poppy wouldn't exactly pass for a Gerudo either. Sure, her skin was sun-kissed and had plenty of melanin, but she reminded Link of his Hyrulean wife for a reason.

Link wondered.

"Yes, Link?"

Jolted of his thoughts, Link gasped. "I have a question!" Poppy glanced at Darek, who shrugged, before she smiled in encouragement toward Link. "Zelda told me that you were a childhood friend to her, but how'd you guys meet anyway?"

As Poppy opened her can of tea, she explained to Link, "My Mistress mother would take me to her visits to Hyrule. She thought it would be well-advised to form relations with Hyrule through myself and Princess Zelda." After taking a sip, she resumed peeling mandarins. "The goddesses must had willed it if the Gerudo and Hyrulean princesses shared an uncanny resembalance, correct?"

"Resemblance, Poppy."

"Oh, re-sem-blance?" Darek listened to her correct pronunciation and nodded. "Thank you, Darek."

Then she handed him a mandarin slice as Link said, "I was thinking, how come you're the one that looks more like Hyruleans?" The question ruffled Poppy who knitted her eyebrows at Link. _Totally a Zelda-move_, Link thought. "I mean you don't really have any of the Gerudo physical characteristics, which I thought was dominant in Gerudo genetics..."

"No, You are correct." Poppy shrugged her delicate shoulders. "I do not really resemble the Gerudo women very much." She reached a bunch of slices out to Link. Feeling like he pried too much, Link took several of them. "But I do have this."

Calm, Poppy wiped off her fingers with a napkin. Link watched as she tilted her head back before sticking her index finger into her left eye. Then she lowered her profile and faced Link with an emotionless expression.

Honestly, Link was surprised that Poppy was using color contacts. Perhaps it was seeing Zelda all this time that blue eyes were so natural. But underneath Poppy's blue eyes was her natural eye color—a gleaming, undeniable amber.

Link knew.

The first memory, the first girl, she turned around with tears in her eyes—those eyes weren't blue, so that meant those eyes weren't Zelda's, they were—

"Poppy..."

She was squeezing her contact-less eye uncomfortably and had asked Darek to fetch her contacts case, but still fixed her stare on Link. "Yes?"

_Hold on._

_This was forbidden by Zelda._

"I..."

Poppy blinked, still uncomfortable. "What is it, Link?"

_She doesn't control me.  
_

"I think—Have we met before?"

She blinked, now confused. "Before? Before when?"

"I... I don't know when exactly." His eyes crinkling, Link rubbed his temple. "Like maybe when we were kids, maybe? I think it was during a really bad time? You were crying."

His words were beginning to have an effect on her. Her gaze did not move now, only stayed upon Link. Almost inaudible, she questioned, "Why was the child Poppy crying?"

Link didn't think he would know the answer, but he sounded right. "Because she'd been hurting for a long while." Incredulous at the words from his mouth, he shook his head fiercely. His eyes closed on his own. "No, it's not from physical abuse or anything like that. She's hurting though. I don't know. I saw, I could tell that she's been suffering though. No, not by sight, well, she's well-dressed and well-fed and there's stuff around her that looks expensive. But she's hurting—but why?—well, I guess, because—"

"Poppy!"

Link's eyes snapped open. He looked behind him as did Poppy. Darek rushed over to her side with a phone in his hand. He did not have to say anything to her, but she knew. Her gaze lowering, Poppy smiled at Link and covered her hand over the phone. "I apologize, but I must take this. Perhaps next time you can tell me?"

With that, Poppy stood and left the patio. Link watched her leave. He didn't know why, but he thought the amber-eyed girl was crying for a similar reason why Poppy's eyes dimmed moments ago.

**.**

Poppy didn't come back from lunch.

Link hung out with Darek for the remaining time. Afterward, Link asked Darek to ask Poppy if they could meet up during their major-period. But during their sword fighting period, Darek stated that Poppy had returned to her residence after the call. She would not return until the next day.

Desperate, Link would had rushed over to her place if he didn't have a strict schedule ahead of him. It sucked for him. He knew that Poppy knew something. Why else would she ask something that released a waterfall of answers? He didn't know where those came from.

Why did it feel like she knew?

Fortunately, he begged Darek for her phone number, which he complied. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to contact Poppy. Some vague texts were sent her way, but she must be an extremely occupied person as well. It was hard sending those texts as it was. Link could only use the bathroom excuse during Crown Prince Education so many times. The suited posse were suspected he had urinary or digestive issues, however Link laughed them off.

He wasn't laughing when he realized in the middle of harp practice, that he had hourglass time with Princess Zelda. Would she know that he was contacting Poppy for the exact reason she yelled at him not to? Wives had this sixth sense, didn't they?

"No, it cannot be canceled," Ezlo answered. His wizened stare was focused on his inked parchment, unable to see Link's crumpled expression. "Although I must inform you. Princess Zelda requested to schedule tonight's meeting held at late tonight."

Rubbing his temple, Link sighed. "Tonight? Why?"

"She did not say."

"Of course she doesn't say anything," Link grumbled to himself.

_And of course_ _she's not saying anything tonight either,_ Link thought to himself hours later. He stood before their arranged room, which had been changed as well. It was decided as the atrium area between the couple's residences. From this time change, Link never knew that at night, that they strung fairy lights around the circular room. There was a cute appeal to it, but it was overwhelmed by the pouring moonlight from the glass ceiling. The center tree had shadowed a single figure and she was partly bathed from the pale glow.

A linger of ill temper rested in Link's chest when he remembered that morning's conversation. Without moving from outside his bedroom door, Link watched Ezlo flip the hourglass, before leaving with Impa. The rules remained the same, therefore Link crossed his arms and leaned against his door with a irritated yawn.

Because Link did not move, she did.

Princess Zelda stepped toward Link hesitantly, with twiddled thumbs. When Link heard her forwarding, he looked up and took in her harried appearance. Her abundance of straying strands of hair, her smudged fingers of ink, and her nightgown kept slipping off one shoulder.

_The fuq?_ Link thought and uncrossed his arms.

When Link got a good look at her, he noticed that her gaze was misty. Whether that was from the tears or the moonlight that filled her eyes, he did not know but he did know that he was supposed to be furious with her. Even though she appeared on the brink of desperation, even though she looked like she was about to cry, Link was not going to—

When she ran into him, his arms opened all on their own.

—He would never allow her to despair like that.

"Zelda?" he whispered, amazed with himself.

Her crying countenance buried into his shirt. Link thought he heard her say something incoherent, but it sounded like, "Won power."

"Won hour?" he repeated as she looked up at him.

In all seriousness, Crown Princess Zelda of Hyrule, his wife of all people really was crying. It appeared that she was taking a moment to gaze at him, before she raised her hands onto his face, as though he wasn't real before her. Link thought he really was as the palms of her hand fit upon his cheeks, cold against his sudden blush, and she parted her lips.

"Link," she said. He did not move, unsure if right now was really happening. "Link, I'm sorry."

It was automatic. "It's alright."

"No, no, nono, you don't even—" Zelda cut herself off and her hands lowered, cold against his warm pulsing throat. A moment passed as she felt him swallow and she fit her head under his jaw. Her hands might be cold but Link knew she was warm. "You don't—You can't—You should stay this way. You have to. I don't know what else to do."

Her tears were real now, slipping onto his skin. It almost drove him to tears. He felt the urge to and an unsettling atmosphere fill the silence.

Unable to reply to that, Link lifted her head, tilted her to look at him. Using the ends of his sleeves, he tried to wipe her tears away, but he thought he was doing a crummy job. "Shoot," he mumbled, and she smiled. Her hand lifted upon his as she shook her head, tears still spilling. Frowning, Link said, "Hey, don't cry."

"What does it matter?" Puzzled, Link cupped his hand and her cheek filled his palm. Her gaze downward, she laughed sadly. "You don't even remember why."

Link shook his head. "Can't you help me remember?"

Zelda smiled, brilliantly and blue. "I certainly can't." His fingers slid past her cheek and held the back of her head. It was desperation for him as he pulled her back into his chest and he all but erased about his past petulance. Soft, she murmured, "There's too much that you don't know. You don't even remember how we met." Link thought she wasn't alluding to his accidental eavesdropping. How long had he truly known her? "Yet you're still here with me now."

Still holding her close, Link closed his eyes. "Don't you think this means you should help me? With all this I forgot?"

She closed her eyes as well. "I can't."

His eyes opened in the slightest. "Why can't you?"

It did not escape Link that she shuddered. "Because you said yes."

"Why would I say yes?"

But Zelda did ask him something. No, it wasn't when she was old enough to know. No, it was when her childish figure was poured in moonlight and her eyes were pouring tears, but she was coherent enough to ask, "_Do you want to, Link?_"

He changed his question. "What did I say yes to?"

"I can't."

"You told me I couldn't remember why. So something with my memory, right?"

"I can't."

"Zelda—"

"Link," she sobbed and suddenly, she pulled away. Her blond head was bowed in tears, her words dripping with desperation. "Link, Link, you don't understand—_I just can't_."

His gaze stayed on her as he held her shaking shoulders. "Please, Zelda, give me something at—"

Link felt her fingers crawl upon his chest. They simply stayed there, but that was all it took for him to burn. The scattered scars there, suddenly, Link swore that there was fire in her fingers and a vague touch was everything to set him ablaze. His eyes widened, his breath caught, and he wasn't really on fire, but he would not be surprised if they found traces of a fire, because Link knew some part of him was being brought to light. That part of him, though, Link had a heavy feeling had a reason for staying buried.

"A home robbery," she whispered, her head between his neck and shoulders, "did they say it was? Of course, you were robbed, but in the most terrible way."

Breathless, Link did not touch his scars. They continued to burn, nonetheless. He only made one motion to curl his fingers into uncontrollable claws and aimed them upward. His throat was tightening.

"Please don't."

Zelda took his fingers and closed them into a fist. Trying to ignore his nails into his palm, Link accepted her arms around his neck and she did not move from upon his skin. It helped that she stayed close to him. The closed wounds upon his chest continued to sear on a ghost flame and his throat was becoming the most severe type of uncomfortable, however Link grinded his eyes shut and touched his face to her cheek.

Flustered, the princess brushed his jaw. "I'm sorry. I'll make it stop now."

Although she moved to cease the phantom pains, Link did not allow her to. He knew, that it also meant she would stop soothing him. He wasn't the only one. Zelda wanted to stay as they were. Still, she knew the longer she lingered, the longer he would be burdened of the unknown.

With that, she pulled out a small blue instrument. Link thought he saw it in the history books before. He had no idea what that would do, and really didn't expect Zelda to simply play a song.

It was a soft, short tune that felt like it didn't do anything. Not until a sudden drowsiness begin to settle upon Link. His eyes were becoming unbearably heavy and he clumsily slumped onto Zelda's lap. There was just enough consciousness for Link to notice that there was a different type of slumber. One that drifted into the deepest recesses of his mind—his memory, it must be—and all Link wanted to do was sleep for a very long time.

But just before he did, Link was able to hear her say, "_Good night, Link._"

**.**

**. . **

**. . .**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**ye yeeeaaa yeeeaaaaaaaaaaa  
next chapter previews: ha ha ha idk man  
**

**ty guys are rad af: **

**Doodle Ladle: **i don't even know whatll happen next ❤

**Guest: **;) ❤

**cookiebee:** the whole bedroom separation is based from Goong, but the room separating Link's and Zelda's room is actually based from Zelda's Courtyard back in Ocarina of Time ❤

**xStella Lunax: **look up heart emoticon on google u have ur hearts &amp; Bubby was supposed to be your guy ❤

**RageMuffinx: **my bruh hope this was long enough for u ❤

**Stylin80: **most on-the-edge? hopefully ❤

**Chameleon Eyes: **a long one tyvm C: this is definitely TP incarnations but Link also has a mix of WW &amp; SS personality :D ❤

**Skydragon74193: **nice ❤

**Soulfire91: **obsessively is good ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	9. i don't give a fuck,

**9**

**. . . **

**. . **

**.**

"What're you talking about?"

At a complete loss as well, Poppy blinked back at Link. A lock of dark hair tucked behind her ear as she clarified, "You said it was urgent. That you must question me for that memory you had." The confusion upon Link's face intensified when she added on in a low, secretive voice, "The one where there was a child Poppy."

"Child Poppy?" Looking away, he screwed up his eyes in concentration. "I don't remember anything like that."

There was a gap between the two of them. On one hand, Poppy clearly recalled the conversation between her and him, concerning the memory of her. Then those text and voice mail messages were not imagined as well. On the other hand, Link didn't recall making those messages at all. Honestly, he woke up that morning with a strange weight of total confusion. It was strange in the sense that he could remember one moment as clear as day, but then the next was inexplicably foggy. Although he did remember eating lunch with Poppy and Darek. But that was to the extent that matched their memory.

Perplexed, Poppy sat on the bench next to Link. A gentle hand upon his shoulder, she inquired, "What do you remember?"

"Lunch." There was a moment of deep contemplation upon his face. "You were eating oranges or something and I had a nice BLT. But still. I just don't remember what we were talking about. Maybe you're right. It's all fuzzy there," Link mumbled and rubbed his temple. "And then when I got to the palace, I did my oh-so-important princely study sessions and I ate dinner by myself... Oh, there was hourglass time too!" Brightened, he snapped his fingers. "Zelda was there! But I guess we didn't talk much at all because I fell asleep pretty fast. But I didn't really do anything yesterday. At least, I think I didn't?"

As his fingers slowly scratched his cheek, Poppy watched him closely. After a moment, she remarked, "That is the most unusual."

He sighed. "My memory bombs."

"Well, _duh_!"

Link and Poppy looked up to see the girls clustering above them. They were all wearing their own variation of a smug smile and of their dance apparel, along with duffel bags slung over their shoulders. Seeing them, a great grin swiped across Link's mouth as Poppy smiled in silent greeting.

This was her first impression of the other girls in Link's life.

To start off, Navi laughed, "What are _you—_" she enunciated with a whack to his shoulder, "—doing in the girls' locker?"

"It's just Poppy and me." Flitting, the girls moved their gazes in her direction as, a little annoyed, Link huffed to the side, "You didn't have to hit me."

In the back of his head, Link knew he shouldn't have mentioned that. The next moment all the girls were swinging their bags in his direction and, honestly, it was painful enough to bring down a puppy, but Link emitted a muffled noise of distress. Hearing that, Poppy immediately shot onto her feet. That had ceased the girls' bagged barrage mid-swing and they quizzically met her eyes.

With all eyes on her, Poppy shrunk from all the attention.

Immediately, Link came to her defense and shot onto his feet, laughing, "Hey, hey, now, let's introduce ourselves in a nice welcoming manner! Right, girls?" The response was a mixture of half-shrugs and half-hearted mumbles. Ignoring that, Link said, "Okay then, _I_'ll introduce them." The girls appeared to be fond of the alternative. "That one with the blue pixie cut is Navi. Yeah, hi Navi, we see you. Then there's her younger sister, with the longer hair, that's Proxi." Navi and Proxi leaned against each other and gave their chorused hello to Poppy who tipped her head down in acknowledgement. "Then we got the blondies, but not blood- related, Ciela and Tatl. If you need to talk to any of them, Ciela's your girl. Tatl, I wouldn't recommend it."

The last line earned a small punch to his hip by Tatl. In an attempt to refute his statement, she sweetly smiled and sidled next to Poppy's side. The Gerudo girl attempted to keep her smile amiable. With a best-buddies attitude, Tatl drawled, "So you're going to teach us some volleyball?"

Link was about to answer for her, but Poppy handled it. "That is, if you ladies are up for the game?"

Again, Link wanted to answer, but for the girls. It was a well-known fact to him that they weren't much of the sporty kind. Sure, they had a thing and an intention in professional dancing, however all other types of exercise were the bane of their existence. They often brought up this up whenever Link wanted them to play any game involving a ball. Volleyball wouldn't be much of a difference.

Knowing all this, he ground his teeth nervously as the girls shared lazy looks. They all shrugged their shoulders, before unzipping their jackets. A millisecond later, they shoved Link out of the girls' locker rooms.

He pouted until Poppy left the lockers as well.

"Hey, you're not..." Link trailed off as his gaze traveled down her outfit. She was more or less prepared in an oversize athlete's jacket and matching sweatpants. It was the outfit she was originally in, which Link didn't really take notice of. "Never mind. Where's the volleyball gymnasium?"

After leading him into the correct room, Link ran off to the storage room to borrow a volleyball. The timing was fortunate as he caught the girls just as they entered the gymnasium. It appeared that they dressed in their sportiest outfit, which was a normal t-shirt, short shorts, and barely-used sneakers.

"On a level of 1 to 10, how prepared are you girls to moan and whine?" Navi teased.

Twining arms with her sister, Proxi was immediate to reply, "I'll start right now."

Giggling, the girls didn't think much of their intention to quit as soon as possible. But then the disappointment on Link's face was enough to slightly change their attitude. Ciela locked her willowy arms behind her back as she said, "We'll try, Link, but we can't promise anything."

With fingers pressed to his temple, he sighed. "I know."

Tatl yawned. "Let's get this show on the road."

Link in the lead, the girls walked behind him and took their time toward the vacant volleyball court. There, Poppy was setting up the net. Upon their entrance, she smiled up at the girls who looked more or less repulsed of their surroundings. Seeing their expressions as well, Link rubbed his temple in genuine worry and wondered why he thought it was a good idea to include them.

That was until Poppy rushed over to them, thanked Link for the volleyball, and began to undress.

At once, Link began to object, but then he realized the girls didn't tear their eyes away. Instead, they took a step closer to Poppy who had stripped down to a fitted t-shirt and shorts combo as well. However, it wasn't the outfit that had the girls ogling, but the body underneath.

"Oh my gods," Navi gasped and ducked onto her knees. Her manicured finger poked at a toned thigh, which brought a low gasp from her. "Oh my gods, it has, like, _muscle_."

"Oh my goddesses," mimicked Ciela as she carefully held Poppy's right arm. Actually speaking to the body's owner, she murmured, "You have very well developed arms. Not too thick, but not too thin. I can feel the muscle here as well."

Her smile remained, but her eyes wide, Poppy laughed in nervous titters. "Thank you, Ciela."

Directly behind Poppy, Tatl folded her arms and whispered to her left, to Link, "She has a nice ass."

Immediately, he jerked as if she touched his own, before he averted his eyes appropriately. There was no stopping her stupid smirk—or at least Link thought it was stupid the way she fed off his awkwardness—and then he coughed and whispered furiously back to her, "Why are you looking at her butt?"

"Why aren't you?" With her head cocked, Tatl nudged Link and snickered, "You didn't have any problems with looking at butts before."

"Well, that was before I was a married man," he hissed to Tatl.

She responded with cackles of laughter.

"Check this out!"

Hearing that, Tatl and Link looked over to Proxi. They inhaled sharply when they saw that she had lifted Poppy's shirt. It was only to the point that showed her abdomen. But, still, it was impressive to the girls that they could see a faint outline of her abdominal muscles. Currently, Proxi still held Poppy's shirt up and had one hand pressed against the skin of her stomach.

Helpless, Poppy glanced at Link. He got the cue.

"Okay, okay, let's stop right now, _Navi_," Link emphasized, swatting her hand away from Poppy's bared skin. "I think we all get the point that Poppy has a great body. But why's that? I'm sure she eats right and sleeps fine and _exercises_, which brings me to our current point of the game that can help you all hopele—"

"It's like a play-doh wall."

"But like not so flabby. It's, like, _hard_."

"But her skin is still so soft. What moisturizer do you use?"

"I—I, uh—"

"I think hers look better than Links', to be honest."

Being the nice guy that he is, Link didn't find any offense to that, rather he turned the comment against them. His arms crossing his chest, he suggested, "So why don't you girls try to get your own and start playing already, dammit?"

In a line, the girls stepped back from Poppy and scrutinized her fit figure. Bemused, Poppy did not move a single muscle and looked over at Link. He smiled in encouragement, hoping she would continue to stay still and that somehow would convince the girls. Fortunately, she did stay the way that she was and that was all needed to change the girls' mind.

"Alright!" Navi clapped and then wound her arms around the others. "Let's get our beach bodies ready!"

All at once, there was a decisive retort of, "It's February."

**.**

Drops of sweat trailed down the girls' faces and, in fear of ruining their water-vulnerable make-up, they gently patted the dry side of their shirts upon their foreheads and cheeks. The four had gotten the gist of the basics of volleyball, therefore their overconfidence led them to believe they could take on two players. But they didn't exactly take into account that those two players were Poppy and Link.

For some reason, their expertise and teamwork just clicked.

Barely broken into a sweat, Link whooped for Poppy after she scored another point. That had been the twenty-first, which meant another game had been won.

"Nice work!" Link laughed, raising his hand for a high-five. Amusement touched her expression when Poppy wasn't really playing her best. That could be because the girls didn't exactly know how to work together. Still, she high-fived Link. "How are you girls hanging over there?"

Jogging over to the net, Proxi raised her arm and breathed heavily, "Dy-Dyo-Do you see ah-ahn-any muscle 'et?"

Through the hole of the net, Link grasped her forearm with scrutinizing eyes. "Uhhhmmm." Another moment passed as he touched the redness of her plushy arm. Proxi's eyes squinted in discomfort, but she still looked up at Link expectantly. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

"Oh my gods," Tatl moaned from her splayed figure upon the wooden court. "Volleyball is hell in Hyrule."

Squatting next to her, Ciela fanned herself. "It's definitely a work-out I'm not used to."

The only optimistic appeared to be Navi who continuously poked at her abdomen. "I think I feel it!" she exclaimed and she laid Tatl's hand onto her flat stomach. "Look! Feel it! You feel my abs coming on, right!?"

Immediately, the annoyed blond snatched her hand back. "How dare you."

Standing next to Link, Poppy locked her red arms behind her back and called out, "How you feel about one last game?"

"Are you asking to murder me?"

"I don't think another would hurt."

"My arms hurt, but Link said they're looking great so yeah, sure!"

"Ladies, come on! Listen! We can beat them at least once, right!?"

Some helpful advice and a water break later, the girls were positioned accordingly upon their court. Poppy really tried to give them good pointers on teamwork (which was really the basics since the girls run for the ball all at once and consequently knock each other down), but they weren't really a match for her and Link.

After he served the ball, the girls appeared to have taken Poppy's advice. Ciela called out first as the ball was closest to her and bumped the ball against her forearms. Seeing that, the first success of hitting the ball without hitting each other, the girls erupted into triumphant screams and that moment left the ball heading for the ground. They were about to erupt into wails of frustration, however Poppy consoled them that the first point didn't count.

The second point was rightfully Link's team when Tatl hit the ball on the fourth time. With a low whistle, he was glad to see that Poppy initiated the high-five, which he returned. Since it was their point, Poppy served the ball and the both of them watched it sail over the net, into the girls' area. This time, Navi and Proxi were able to pass the ball over the net.

The girls were watching normally, but then their stares widened upon the next sequence of events.

From what Tatl and Navi could tell, Poppy was heading for the ball and so was Link. However, to avoid hitting her in the face, Link broke his arms apart and pushed her away, which in turn tripped up Poppy who actually collided into him. Proxi claimed that his arms broke apart hurriedly, only to hit himself in the face, and Poppy reached for him out of concern. The most realistically that Poppy and Link believed was Ciela who stated that Link did try to avoid hitting her and fumbled backwards, which he impulsively reached out to Poppy and took her with his fall.

Nevertheless, the end scene was that Link had his back upon the court, and his chest to Poppy's. At these close quarters, it was easier to notice the differences between her and his wife. Their face was definitely the same, but Poppy had cinnamon freckles scattered across her cheeks, Poppy had the lips of the Sacred Bow, Poppy's blonde hair gave off a reddish tint, Poppy's chest was significantly—

Not finishing that thought, Link couldn't help the heat rushing to his cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Poppy apologized, calmly rising to a stand.

Her hand outward to Link, he couldn't look her in the eyes and splayed his other hand over his blushing expression. His voice lowered, he mumbled, "It's a'ight." Then he ripped his hand from hers and used that to still cover his face. However his eyes were bared and he caught that she may not be fine. "Hey," he pointed out, still not moving his hands. "Is your shoulder okay?"

Poppy didn't understand until she took a look herself. The shirt appeared to have ripped and showed her shoulder skin. At once, her eyes became wide and Link definitely noticed her amber eyes at large, but her hand hurriedly squeezed her shoulder.

His voice came up soft, "Hey—"

"Poppy!" the girls rushed over after their moments of fixation. "Poppy, you okay?"

With her other hand, Poppy tucked her straying strands back. "Yes, I am alright."

"Okay, great. Link?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, but her shirt has a tear," he answered quickly and stepped toward Poppy.

Shaking her head, she laughed shakily. "No, no, it is absolutely fine. I can sew it right up." Her fist bunching the teared fabric, Poppy backed away with slow steps. "You guys can keep playing. I'll... I'll be back."

With that, she headed away from them and, in Link's opinion, as fast as she could.

**.**

Since the girls couldn't even beat Link four-to-one, they decided to call it a day. Fortunately, just as they gave up, Poppy returned to help them clean up the court. No one commented that she threw on her jacket over her ripped shirt and, honestly, no one expected her to answer. Her silence was different now, a bad different, and Link was about to ask her when Tatl smacked her forehead, groaning, "Ohhhhhhhh _no."_

Simultaneously, the girls crowded around the phone in her hand, chorusing, "What? What?!_ What?!_"

"The bro's coming back."

Navi and Ciela shared glances with each other and gave the okay to scream. But then Ciela closed her mouth into a thin smile and then opened again to question Tatl, "Like back home or like the group?"

"Back home because of the group."

Again, they were screaming. At this point, Link was blatantly covering his ears and motioned Poppy to do the same. Perplexed, she did not as she wanted to hear what was so exhilarating that they had to vocalize so loudly about it.

"Yeah, I gotta head home right now," Tatl sighed.

"Not by yourself, _selfish_!" Ciela giggled and twined arms with Tatl. "Tell your mom we're coming over."

"No."

"Tatl!" Navi whined and grasped her other arm. "I thought we were your fam."

"No."

"I'll come too."

Tatl and Navi were, the least to say, surprised to hear Proxi speak up. Next to them, Ciela frowned and touched her cheek in thought as Link scratched the back of his neck. It was only now that Poppy read the awkward silence and spoke the question everyone was thinking, "Are you certain you want to do that?"

"Yeah, I'll go." Navi and Ciela gasped. With a roll of her eyes, Proxi turned to Tatl. "You'll let my sister and Ciela go if I go, right?"

Even now, Tatl was dumbfounded. "Uh... sure."

"Perfect." There was no other word from her as she turned to leave but then swiveled around to Link and Poppy. "Are you guys coming?"

Poppy smiled sadly. "I cannot."

Link glanced at her. "Yeah, I can't."

"Alright! See you tomorrow! Text us, Link!"

A moment later, the girls had all but hurriedly fled out of the gymnasium. With a sigh, Link helped Poppy store the net and the volleyball away. This time, he could ask if she was able to fix her shirt. She was able. Did she feel any pain in her shoulder now? No, she was completely fine. Was he?

He was going to answer that, before he heard his name elsewhere.

"Hey, you, yes, Link!" Turning around, he met the heart-warming expression of his most furious wife. "Link, I've been calling you for the longest time, oh my gods, where in Hyrule—oh! Oh, Poppy, hello! Hi!"

Honestly, Link thought he was the husband, yet he never received the amount of warmth that was poured upon Poppy. The Gerudo girl gave a genuine smile as she returned the hug of her Hyrulean look-alike. When they drew back, Zelda clutched the sleeve of Link's jacket and tugged him along. While walking, she said to Poppy, "Hey, I'm really sorry about not attending lunch anymore. With you, you know, because I've just been so..."

"I know. Do not fret." With one look to Link, Poppy explained, "Link has been kind enough to fill in your spot."

The princess glanced at Link, dubiously. Trying to play as the nice guy Poppy thought he was, Link tipped forward in a formal bow of gratitude. But Zelda stared at Poppy again, whispering, "If you want my advice, I believe you deserve better company, my dear."

Laughing, Poppy whispered back, "You are married to him."

"Ugh, please don't remind me." Hearing that, Link emitted a small scoff in his throat. Zelda pretended not to hear him and continued on, "Listen, he and I have to hurry to the palace like right this moment so do you need a ride or anything?"

Her hand waved. "It is alright."

"If you say so." The three had arrived at a private academy lot where a sleek vehicle was waiting for Link and Zelda. He ran over to the suited posse who were going to drive the couple home. Still giving her undivided attention to Poppy, Zelda held her car door between them. "I'll call you when I have the time. There's some matters I'd like to go over with you."

Her hand waved again, this time, in goodbye. "I will be waiting."

"Yo, Poppy!" called out Link. "Let's hang out again!"

Right beside him, Zelda called out over him, "Don't listen to him! I'll see you very soon!"

Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she continued to wave at them while the royal couple squabbled in the car and as soon as the car became a dot in the distance, did she dare utter to herself, "Hey." Her hand stopped, mid-wave. "You're sitting in my seat."

**.**

Immediately after school, Link and Zelda were guided into the atrium between their bedrooms. It became routine to wait for either Impa or Ezlo to flip over the hourglass and then disappear seconds later. Although Link wasn't totally sure if he conked out after yesterday's hourglass time, he didn't ask Zelda to confirm. His wife appeared to have no attention of telling him anyway since she pulled out a stack of schoolwork from her bag. She also didn't argue with him when Link followed her actions and took the seat next to her on the bench. Her only response was to lift the hourglass, slide slightly away from Link, and drop the hourglass between them.

Link pouted and turned his sulky look skyward.

It was a nice day outside, but it was nicer inside where it wasn't as freezing and yet the sun was shining through the glass ceilings. Even though it'd be nice to study directly underneath the rays of sunshine, Link didn't move from his tree-shaded spot next to Zelda. This arrangement didn't seem so bad when he could pretend to care about differentiations and derivatives, but really, he was trying to tell the difference between her problem-solved and problem-stuck expressions. With the both of them, there was a hint of a smile upon her cool countenance (Link thought that Zelda must be those types who were actually _enjoyed_ a schoolwork challenge), so he had to squint to see—

Sensing the procrastination, Zelda's gaze flickered onto him.

Immediately, he looked away and onto his paper. For an extra moment, Zelda watched as her husband muttered to himself, which sounded like a bunch of gibberish, but he wrote down a bunch of numbers. Inwardly, Link released a sigh of relief when she rolled her eyes away from his random writings, before focusing back onto her work.

That didn't last long when her phone rang.

Without tearing her gaze away from her textbook, Zelda fit her cellphone between her cheek and shoulder. "Yeah?" she answered, the informality in her voice foreign to Link. It sounded as though a male's voice was responding. "Yeah, I can't argue with you on that. I apologize. How are you, Daltus?"

"Daltus?" Link murmured to himself.

It was the name of the current King of Hyrule, therefore Zelda's father. However Zelda would never call the King by his first name, therefore Link made an educated guess that the caller was a different Daltus. Most definitely, the name ran in the family and so he could only be—

When Zelda glanced at Link, he mouthed to her, '_Brother?_'

Surprisingly, she nodded to Link before answering to her younger sibling, "Again, you proved a good point, but you know I have no control over that domain. You were in the middle of examination season—" She stopped short, hearing his sudden interjection. Leaning in, Link observed her facial features softening, before she turned away. "I'm sorry, Dal, I really am. But if you really wanted to, you could had... Right, right. Right. No, I don't advise you on that. It doesn't matter the cause if Her—oh, oh, _alright_. I don't know about that." The last part Zelda appeared to say to herself, but Link heard the caller's voice rising. "Yes, I hope to see you then. Bye, Dal."

After ending the call, Link immediately seized the chance to ask, "When was the last time you talked to the prince?"

Her gaze upon the phone in her hand, Zelda asked in return, "By technology or in-person?"

"Either."

Thinking, the princess paused. "That was in-person. He was able to be summoned to the castle. For his last birthday, I suppose."

Link pressed on, "And that was...?"

"Four months ago?"

His jaw dropped.

"No, five." Her head bobbed and turned to Link, completely certain. "It was five months ago."

_Will that be me in the future? _Link thought, thinking of his grandmother and Aryll and the kids. The last time he spoke to them was last week, which was already hard as it was. Link did his best to maintain a weekly conversation with his family, even though he had been told time and time again that they were supposed to be left in the past.

But then another thought occurred to Link. The last time he'd seen them in-person was the wedding, not even some several days ago. So would that mean—"Wait a minute." Already irritated of his inquiries, Zelda clicked her nails against her textbook. "Was the prince not invited to our wedding?"

"He was, but Her Majesty forced him into staying in school when she heard it was examination season. Our wedding was screened on live television anyway."

"But... But, like, didn't he _want_ to come?"

The princess exhaled a soft sigh. "Yes." Bewilderment furrowed Link's forehead until she added on, "Even though he wants to, it doesn't mean he will. You have to understand this, Link." A lecture was on its way and Link attempted to keep his excitement at check. "It doesn't matter what position you, or I, or my brother have, it's useless against the King and Queen. If His or Her Majesty says no, there's no other way around it. The King and Queen of Hyrule have Royal Privilege over the rest of us."

Link nodded. "Right."

"So when my brother requests a summoning from Her Majesty, the Queen, and she denies his request, that's the end of it." With a huff, Zelda blew a stray strand from her cheek and then slammed her textbook closed. Then her expression lit up, she turned to Link. "Oh, that's right."

"What?"

"The King of Hyrule summoned you."

He blinked, thinking really hard. "I thought I wasn't allowed to visit the King because he's sick? That's what they told me when I asked to see him. And that was like weeks ago."

A sarcastic smile graced her expression. "Did you forget about Royal Privilege already?"

"Alright, alright," Link groaned, throwing his hands up in surrender. "So what I do now that—"

"Your Highness!" Side-by-side, Impa and Ezlo were speed-walking toward the two with their heads bowed. "We're going to have to cut the hour short today." Confused countenances met their advisers' harried eyes. "You have a few hours to prepare for your first outing."

**.**

Through his toothy smile, Link whispered to his wife, "What the hell am I looking at?"

Smiling just as brightly, Zelda replied to her husband, "You don't have to understand it."

Turned out their first official "outing" was a invitation to an art gallery. Having taken a few art classes himself, Link still couldn't understand what there was to art. Of course, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," therefore most of his art collection is a bunch of sculptures and paintings of swords. The girls thought it was totally hilarious for his thing for swords, but at least they sort of understood why swords were so beautiful to him, but this—_this_—this was absolute goatshi—

"I think I see the message," Zelda murmured, leaning closer to Link. Her hand was carefully positioned upon his forearm—the picture-perfect of a princely gentleman and his princess-y lady. Link just liked that her fingers were warm through his six-figures suit sleeve. "The heart sees all. And something about pain, what with all those strange spikes along the edge. It's quite melancholy."

"It's frickin' terrifying," he muttered under his breath.

"Onto the next one then."

Moving to the left of _Majora's Mask_, the couple stopped before the next painting, which Link thought to be even worse than its neighbor. He tried—he really did—not to keep the disgruntlement from leaking onto his facial features, however it was hard not to when staring at the so-called piece of art.

"Liiiiiiinnk," his wife hissed, digging her elbow into his waist. "Stop that."

"Look at this, look _at this_," he almost laughed in disbelief to the both of them. "These are the worst of the worst. The bottom of the barrel. Who decided this was a thing?"

To be honest, Zelda wondered the same thing. Not much of an art connoisseur either, the princess narrowed her eyes at the painting before her. It was one of those creations where the artists blindfolded themselves and threw buckets at paint at their canvases. However, instead of drowning the drawing bored with color, this painting only had three golden dots positioned in a triangle. It made sense to Zelda—in a way if you think easily enough with gold and triangles—but did the artist really have to make 2 cm dots on a white canvas of 200 x 200?

"How much is it?"

Annoyance flashed across Zelda's expression, however she couldn't help wanting to know as well.

"C'mon, tell me." There was another moment of silence. "If you want, I could buy it for you. For us, actually. Y'know... Happy anniversary, darling. We've stayed together for four whole days."

Now she wanted to know. Keeping her smiles in check, the princess glanced at the small white card and tapped her husband's arm. After he leaned in, her lips tipped toward his ear as she murmured, "It's perfect. Four days for four million."

"Holy shoot." For only the two of them to hear, Link let out a low wolf whistle. "Sorry, babe. I might have to reconsider."

Suddenly, Link flinched upon hearing a sort of snappy, ruffled sound. It was only Zelda taking out her lacy hand fan and she used the item to laugh freely behind the small screen. Just by knowing the fact that he was the reason for her honest-to-goddesses laughter, Link widened his smile enough to fill his cheeks. It was fortunate for them that the journalists decided to forward the couple in their private moment of good spirits.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" a crowd of them surrounded the royal couple. "Would Your Highness be so kind to answer a few questions about this particular painting? Like, what do you think of this piece of art?"

Under protocol, Link and Zelda waited for their security to check their surroundings. After a few moments, Zelda was accustomed to the spotlight and volunteered first. Already, a small podium was set before her as she calmly replied, "This painting—_Fate_—is most definitely alluding to the symbol of our country's history and beginning." Beside her, Link nodded and thought that was a good answer. "Our past speaks of legends and our legends begin with the symbol depicted here, which brings the title into play."

Before the princess could continue, a journalist thought it was a good time to interject, yelling, "What do you think the title has to do with Hyrule's legends, Prince Link!?"

Gods, this was not good. Link couldn't straight-out declare, "I don't frickin' know!" It wasn't that he doesn't know about the old Hyrulean legends, but that he couldn't spit out smart stuff on the spot, just like Zelda did. Suddenly, he wished for a miracle as his wife gave a quick glance at him, just the slightest concerned. But there was no other choice. He was supposed to be prepared for these unplanned moments. In addition, he was required to forward and answer this jerk-butt journalist's question.

Nonetheless, everyone was waiting for his answer.

To play for time, he tapped at the microphone. It was working, of course. Another moment passed as he cleared his throat. And another as he heard Zelda taking the smallest step near him. But now, it was now or never as he was wasting way too much time, so he—

—he received his miracle.

The closest was his wife, Zelda, who could only watch as he tensed under the light, then he dived with his hand palm-out for her, and then there was a burst of red from the head of her husband.

**.**

**. . **

**. . .**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**from last chapter, the majority of my feedback is confused _confused_ _confUSED.  
_&amp; here's what I think:**

¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**next chapter previews: COMATOSE? BRAIN PERSONALITY TRANSPLANT? OR EVEN... _DEATH?_  
**

**THANK YOU for those reviews. feels good man: **

**generala: **poppy may or may not have to do w/ all of this ❤

**PianoPlayer1200: **this chapter wont really feed that hunger, but here's more ❤

**Same Guest: **u should make an account same dude... feelings? doesn't exist in Zelda's dictionary ❤

**Koolkat222: **nah we didn't ❤

**Stylin80: **U R very very hot ❤

**the real kirito: **pffffttt u thought that was zelink u got a storm comin' ❤

**Chameleon Eyes:** ty for the compliments! I like the elegant queen/clumsy commoner mix too so :D but it's all fair game when Poppy enters. Link is a bit of TP/SS/WW/MC(in terms of the plot I guess)/OoT (later on a lot a lot) altogether, I think ❤

**Flower in the Breeze:** i got zelink plan trust me ❤

**RageMuffinz: **i tried ❤

**TurtleCopter: **tyvm. is a turtlecopter supposed to be a turtle with helicopter blades? ? ? ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	10. why do i

**10**

**. . .**

**. . **

**. **

At once, the princess snapped back to reality and her knees buckled underneath as she attempted to catch her harmed husband. However, he did not fall. In actuality, he wasn't harmed at all. And neither was Rinku who had dove in after Link, which then he also splattered red from his chest.

Her gaze unrelenting, Zelda clung to her husband's side. Eyes too widened to blink, he turned to her with his hand pressed to his temple. His red fingers came between him and her.

The red was slick and liquid on his fingers, but it was not blood.

"_I have terrible aim!_" the assaulter admitted .

Upon hearing the voice, the princess straightened. "I don't believe this."

Curious, Link flickered his stare over to the source of the voice. The blinding flashes of the cameras were everywhere, but if he squinted, he could spot the voice's owner. It belonged to a stout, snobbish man who wore the fitting clothes to belong to a high-class art exhibition, however he had also stored his weapons inside his suit. Currently, Raven and Rudrum were locking his arms behind his back. The action made him double over, which caused the spill of red onto the floor.

Brow furrowing, Link stated out loud, "Tomatoes?"

"I was not targeting the princess!" snapped the man, struggling against Links' guards. "It was him! I wanted to hit him, but the tomato somehow ended for the princess! It was not for _Her_ Highness!" Still, handcuffs were being locked around his wrists and he squealed. "That's much too harsh, you fools, that stings!"

There was a moment when she had to restrain from rolling her eyes about, before Zelda retained her apathetic appearance. Just for show, her hand was placed upon Link's wrist as she addressed the wild man, "What was your purpose for attacking my husband, Duke Windfall?"

On his knees, he attempted to spit in the direction of Link. It landed a few feet before the princess. She was not amused. Slightly humiliated, Duke Windfall gave his explanation, "Your Highness does not believe this entire ordeal is absolute garbage?!" Honestly, she still thought it was, but like hell she was going to agree with him. "You are telling me my years of preparing Milo to the bone, of investing every expense for my son, all of that was in vain because _of him_?!" Again, he spat from the mention of Link. The prince's expression became hard once he realized why. "I had high hopes for my son! Hell, I had high hopes for every suitable noble out there who worked like mad as Milo did! But then this blasted boy with bad blood simply waltzed in from nowhere and was handed the throne!? That's balderdash! Utterly disgusting and the most repulsive hogwash I've the misfortune of hearing!"

Worked up in a fervor, Duke Windfall threw up a fight against his restraints. Raven and Rudrum weren't worried. "Listen here, _Prince Hourglass_, I have gone through the news quite a bit and I believe most writers have a piece of mind. They say you do not have the capability nor the character to rule this country. You will struggle under the heavy sands of time, and therefore fall, be crushed like a insignificant bug that you are. Once that happens," he snarled, and his posture was bent inward as though bowing, but his eyes were scornful hard upon Link, "once that happens, either Milo or his rightful competitors will _take your place_!"

His last roar sounded from his lips and over to Link. They were all fixated for his reaction. They had hoped for a sharp riposte, but Link could not fill those hopes. Not when those accusations sounded so new, and the very possibility that the people of Hyrule would have their doubts about him, all these thoughts caused Duke Windfall's prediction to really happen.

They were all watching as Link's expression began to fall apart, his defeatist thoughts were crumbling upon his facial features, and his disheartened gaze lowered, his throat came up dry, his lips quivered to part—

"You are wrong."

They were all watching Princess Zelda. Not with one moment to spare, the cameras were clicking toward the royal couple, and questions were overlapping one another. However, Princess Zelda held up one hand. Like schoolchildren, the cameras and the question ceased, but the microphones were raised in her direction.

On the other side, Duke Windfall responded, "What ever could you mean by that, Your Highness?"

"There is no hidden meaning among three words, My Lord Duke Windfall. I meant exactly as I had said." The press were not satisfied with the answer as the flashing and murmuring elevated, however the princess concluded, "You are most definitely wrong about Prince Link. That is all. Have a lovely day at the station."

With that, Zelda left her podium with Link pulled beside her. The security team was more more attentive this time as they surrounded the royal couple. Even Rinku was still on the move, although he had cleaned up quite a bit.

They were guided out of the art gallery and into their awaiting vehicle. Once they made it inside, Zelda pressed a hand to her forehead. A sigh of frustration escaped her thinly pressed lips.

She didn't realize that she didn't exactly ask about Link's state of mind. Under her hand, her tired stare flickered over to him. He didn't look like he was too shaken up. Rather, he was pleasantly quiet as he rubbed a towel over the tomato chunks on his head. But then he broke the silence to say, "Thank you."

Indifference was her mask as she inquired, "For what?"

His answer was faint with disbelief. "For defending me."

She shrugged. "That's nothing."

"I don't think it is."

Her voice lowered, almost to herself. "It is compared to what you did."

**.**

Sometime past midnight, Link was interrupted from a rare night of deep slumber. It was a series of small tinkling from his phone, before the sounds overlapped each other as though hurrying over each for a finish line. Nonetheless, the noise was preventing Link from his well-needed rest and he gritted his teeth as his fingers fumbled around for his mobile. When he finally settled it before his sleepy face, he read the following with a slow, drawn-out groan:

**12:06 AM. _Navi_: ooohhhHHHH MY GODDDDEESSSSES**

**12:06 AM. _Proxi_: IM LITEALY SCEAMRING**

**12:06 AM. _Ciela_: I can't quite help myself I too am screaming**

**12:06 AM. _Proxi_: DIDYUSEEETIRLLHAIR**

Link's index finger flicked toward the end.

**12:08 AM. _Tatl_: it's all fast-forwarded, but it's nothing too hard, except those waltz-y-ish moves u should know prox  
**

**12:08 AM. _Proxi_: LINK LOOK LINK LOOK eLLi SLAYS THOSE HIGH NOTES **

**12:09 AM. _Navi_: LOOK LISTEN LINK**

**12:09 AM. Ciela: Link?**

**12:09 AM. Tatl: is he stil ok aftr wat happnd?**

Closing his eyes, Link blindly tapped at his phone screen.

**12:11 AM. Link: wahthups **

**12:11 AM. Navi: LISTEN TO TEH WINWAR COMEBACK**

**12:14 AM. Link: oay**

With that, his phone was silenced and thrown across the room. Seeing that his phone was out of the way, Link had the intention of returning into sleep's warm arms. But then his eyes were drawn toward a stray stream of light. It appeared to be coming from outside, and most likely from the bedroom opposite his.

Curious now, Link forced himself to rise out of bed. Since he goes to sleep shirtless, he hurriedly slipped into a plain green shirt, before heading out his room. The glass doors revealed that he wasn't imagining the brightness as, indeed, light was streaming onto the glossy floor outside Zelda's quarters. In a flash, he made his way around the center tree and then pressed his back against a wall, peering into the clear glass of her lighted door.

Princess Zelda was wide awake and moving. It appeared that she had been awake for a while now as her ordinarily organized room was a contrasting clutter. Still, his gaze was attracted to his wife who reclined upon her half-tester bed in a peculiar position. Her head and back was pressed against her rumpled duvet, however her legs were crossed upon the plush headboard.

What fascinated Link the most was that she was singing something muffled, but sweet on the hearing, all the while dressed in polka-dotted shorts and his wedding dress shirt.

His face dead serious, he decided it was time to knock her door.

Of course, she was taken by surprise and consequently somersaulted off her bed. Blowing hair off her lips, Zelda instantly looked in the direction of her door. Upon seeing Link's emotionless expression—it was unusual to see the tables turned—, the princess stood onto her feet. It was somewhat of a challenge to don her own usual apathy in polka dots and remlit slippers, but Zelda managed.

Once she cracked her door a sliver, she hurried her question, "_Whatdoyouwant?_"

It had been several days after the gallery incident, and Link hadn't spoke to her in ages. Sure, they were pushed together almost all the time, but still. The morning and evening meals were silent, the minimal time forced together at school were silent, and of course, the hourglass time was most exceptionally silent as the hour felt more like an eternity. So catching the princess in an unusual display was an accident Link was cheering inside for.

He couldn't help himself, Link smiled gleefully. "I see that you're awake."

Zelda scoffed. "I thought you were asleep."

"_Someone_," he emphasized, "woke me up."

Not knowing that someone wasn't her, the princess slightly bowed her head. "I apologize. It is most unlike myself to not be conscientious of others. I will keep in mind of the volume." There was a movement on her side to close the door. "Goodnight."

"Now, hold on a minute," Link laughed with one foot wedged before the door. "How in Hyrule am I supposed to have a good night when I'm wide awake? It's like someone was trying to make sure I stay awake." Her nose scrunched along with her eyes fixating to the side, which Link figured what her sulky look. _Cute_, he thought. "I think it's fair if you help me fall asleep, right?"

"I... I suppose."

"Great." He tapped at the door. "Gonna let me in or nah?"

Her defenses may had lowered, but her intelligence did not. "Why? Are you going to fall asleep in my room?"

An eyebrow raised, Link bumped his head against her doorway. "You're the one whose helping me fall asleep. You see, the key word is _help_. But I won't actually _be_ sleeping in your room. You know?" The princess did not know. He was still grinning. "Just let me in and kick me out when I look like I'm about to conk out."

'_W__hen will that be?_' the princess questioned herself, but begrudgingly she swung her door all the way, allowing Link to enter.

His eyes roaming, he sauntered into her private space with his hands tucked into his pajama pants. It was the second time he had been in her room, and it was a sight to be seen. From behind her door, it was a mess and, up close, it was still a mess. A few feet away, Zelda was furiously plucking an eyeshadow palette, a self-help book, and her uniform skirt off the floor. Since she was busy with that, Link wandered over to where she'd fell off her bed. The mirror and the eyeliner brush were still on the rugged floor, so Link gently moved them onto her bedside table. Upon her wrinkled sheets, there were a few music sheets, a hand harp, a piano keyboard without the stand-thingy, and a lavender laptop.

The instruments were promptly ignored, but for the music sheets, Link took a small glance, but not being able to read music notes, he simply read _One Last Day_ from the top. Then he peered down at the laptop screen, he recognized to be a video-streaming website. The current video had been placed on pause and was simply an audio recording from a recognizable artist.

"WINWAR?" realized Link aloud. Embarrassed, Zelda stiffened during her cleaning, but turned to her husband with a resentful glare. He turned to her with a snap of his fingers. "That's right! You're a closet fan. Well, not to me," he laughed, trying not to meet with the multiple gazes of the poster-boy Neri. From Zelda, hers singularly were narrowed with intent assault. "I'm guessing you already saw their comeback?"

Her indignation melting to interest, she inquired, "How do you know they came back?"

He shrugged. "The crew likes to keep me well-informed."

"How well-informed?"

"Well." Nonchalant, he tapped the side of his head. "There's a surprising amount of information in here, that's for sure."

A smile was starting upon her lips. "Surprise me."

"How?" Link gulped.

A new light to her, the princess fluffed a decorative pillow upon an armchair, before making her way next to Link. Sweeping a seat onto her bed, Zelda adopted a cross-legged position as her laptop was settled into her lap. Waiting, Link awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

A moment later, she broke the silence. "Have you watched it?"

"It?"

"The music video."

He shook his head. "The girls told me to, but..."

Just then, the wall across from Zelda's bed began to buzz. The landscape painting of Lake Hylia began to slowly inch its way around, just to reveal the thinnest television Link had even seen. He was daydreaming about watching some sword fighting tournaments on that gorgeous piece of technology, before reality showed that it was a simple blue screen. After a moment, the screen flickered to show the same image as Zelda's laptop.

"I was thinking..." It was the first Link had seen the princess this animated, but there was something mighty cute when she turned to him, a giddy grin on her lips. "Actually, I don't think you would mind if I test you?"

Snorting once, Link cocked his head. "A test on a Hyrulean boyband?"

"I take my Hyrulean boybands very seriously. As you can see," Zelda stated with her free hand waving about her quarters decorated with their merchandise. Her hand down, she leaned back as she inquired, "Also I heard tests are rather very effective for increasing your sleepiness?"

"True that," he mumbled.

She laughed. The surprising sound pulled Link's mouth into genuine grin. He stared all that he wanted as she waved her remote hand and said, "It will be a surprise to me if you could even remember the names of seven members, but let's add on their positions too." At these rules, Link pulled his sulky look and blew a raspberry. "Oh, and I'd like to know something extra if you're really up for it?"

"You mean like a fun fact? Oh man, I'm a living breathing encyclopedia of fun facts." Having a little fun with this, Link stretched his upper body and cracked his knuckles together. "Prepare to have your mind blown."

While Zelda brought the correct video onto the screen, Link seized the chance to sit right beside her. Thankfully, she was just smiling to herself as the television successfully blared the sounds of birds chirping. Just then, she took notice of the close proximity.

At that moment, he straightened and declared, "First up!" Upon the screen, there was a pastel plaza with a conspicuous group of six boys peeking from an amethyst alley. The camera closed in on one, a tall brunette with a boyish grin and rose-red eyes. "You're looking at Leaf, the main rapper, a-k-a the Power Rapper!"

Pulling her hair into a ponytail, Zelda questioned, "Why is that?"

"Because!" His hands folded behind his neck, Link needed a moment to think. "Because his sick rhymes are just, like, _power_ful!" From that answer, Link earned a pillow to the face but he laughed at the impact. "I'm kidding. They're pretty potent stuff, but his solo tracks mostly make you wanna do something. Like motivation, I guess." He tossed the pillow back to Zelda who settled it onto her lap and ran a hand through her tight hairstyle, amusedly. "They work well for the times you have'ta run five miles everyday."

"I see," the princess murmured, her eyes upon Link's lean figure.

He didn't notice her staring, not when the camera moved downward, upon a baby-faced blonde with smiling purple eyes. "That's Agatha. Also a great rapper, but he's more suited for the R&amp;B and ballad scene. The opposite of Leaf, his rhymes are the type of stuff that can always pull you to sleep." There was a moment when Zelda thought Agatha's rap would be useful for this very moment. "Like a little girl's lullaby."

The remote tapped twice against Zelda's cheek. "Right and right."

"Oh, and fun fact, the dude's really _really_ obsessed with bugs." Link nodded, all-knowingly. "He said that he would be an entomologist if he wasn't into rap. But still, Agatha is so obsessed that he also likes to wear butterfly wings during his downtime."

"I've seen those!" Zelda blurted, dropping her hands into her pillowed lap. "Agatha said he created his wings himself, but it's somewhat popular for his fans buy an unofficial imitation—"

Amazed, Link exclaimed, "Fans_ BUY _that kinda stuff!?"

Zelda laughed and nodded.

Mumbling to himself, Link returned to a different member upon the screen. A sepia-skinned man was tucking back a snow-white dreadlock behind his ear. "Oh gods, I know him, he's always singing with my main." His eyes closed, Link rapidly snapped his fingers on both hands until he blurted, "Quill, Quill! He's Quill!" _Correct_, her smile seemed to tell him. "A main vocalist! Man, the girls fangirl over him a lot, especially Tatl she's Quill-crazy, because he's the bilingual one. He's from that island...?"

"Dragon Roost," filled in Zelda.

"Right, Dragon Roost. I think they have a really old tribe called the Ritos or something and Quill's one of them. They speak Roostian, but Quill was taught Hyrulean too and the girls are frickin' _obsessed_ with his Roostian accent." Link had been making use of rolling his eyes, which Zelda couldn't help feeling responsible for. "But it's still rad that he knows two languages since he can sing in both."

"Uh-huh," the princess hummed, nudging Link's shoulder to another member. Immediately, he zoned in on the most obvious characteristic.

"Afroboy! Afroboy has a name! Can't remember Afroboy's name!

She joked with him, "You can't remember Trill?""

"Sure, I can. Trill rhymes with Quill, but I can't remember that either." Zelda laughed and his smiled brightened. "He's also a rapper and a pretty dank dancer. But_ fun fact_ the girls told me, he used to take over his dad's lantern shop and called it "Trill's Shop," even though it was nameless. His dad eventually let him set up his own lantern stand, but like four months later, Trill joined the entertainment business."

"That's right." Zelda tilted her head at the blueish-purple cloud that was Trill's hair. "I heard he was going to university for business, but he thought the music industry was far more lucrative."

"But not this bro over here," Link chuckled , throwing his index finger toward the television. Upon there, a raven-haired boy touched shoulders with Leaf, but the camera zoomed onto the newer boy." Oh my goddesses, Tael, Tael, Tael... the main dancer and the main beef with Proxi."

Zelda gasped.

"Yeah, it's kinda of long story—"

Like lightning, Zelda tapped the pause button and turned to Link with her fists tucked underneath her chin and bright eyes gleaming. "I have time."

He blinked. "Uh... Well if you say so." Link had not mistaken the small squeal from her lips as she looked up at him expectantly, excitedly. "I guess it all started because of his sister whose... Tatl."

Almost immediately, Zelda affirmed into her pillow, "I know."

"You know everything, don't you?" She smiled, then shrugged. "Anyway, Tatl auditioned for Legends of Entertainment and while she was doing that, Tael was scouted. They were always picky with appearances... Y'know, 'cause like the iris of his eye is purple, but the outer rim is red and Tatl said that's all genetics, even though hers are just gold-ish-yellow? So the week after Tatl's audition, there was a call that she _thought_ was for her, but—"

"Oh no." Sympathy shined in Zelda's downward gaze. "Poor Tatl."

"Yeah, but she's all cool with him. Even though he auditioned _and_ he got in. It does suck though, because she does the whole contemporary dancing and Tael's more of a ballroom dancer." Puzzle pieces were fitting into Zelda's mind as the gossip transpired, and it was finally completed with a soft gasp. "Yeah, you got it. Story time over." That earned a swift smack to his gut, but Link still smiled. "Obviously, ballroom dancing involves two partners and Tael's partner was Proxi. So after he got the news, Tael told Proxi first. One, because _duh_ she's been his partner for years, and two, because he likes her more than a dance partner."

The princess's lips formed an open 'O'.

"Oh yeah," Link snickered. "Proxi doesn't really know about reason two, but it's reason one that she wanted him to stay. _But_ she told him that she knew that 'he would choose what's best.'" Zelda was shaking her head. With a shrug, Link pointed to the screen. "You can see what he thought was best."

Dying to know, she inquired calmly, "How did Proxi react?"

"Are you kidding me?" For a moment, Link huffed a sardonic laugh. "She held me and the girls in her room for like five frickin' hours. She's usually chill, but she was losing her _d_amn mind with the screaming and the crying and, oh man, _the kick-boxing._ That chick was a mess because of him. We all know she hates Tael now, but _ohhhhhhhhh_, I just remembered Proxi went to see him with the girls the other day and—" Link stopped abruptly with a sly smile, "—and I'd already spoken too much." Zelda smacked Link for cutting off like that, but his head bobbed toward the screen. "Two more, right?"

The princess sulked, but she unpaused anyway. She had not expected for Link to suddenly turn to her so quickly, and with such a striking stare. For a moment, Zelda thought the sun was on the rise since her room was brilliantly brightened. But then he turned toward the television, which showed a lanky redhead against the wall. His eyes on the televised person, Link identified him, "eLLi is the leader of WINWAR, and the main vocal because the dude's got a voice of an angel."

"Of... an angel?" was the princess' dubious reply.

Unable to hold in his avidity, he upped and began to pace the room. "Oh my gods, like first of all, I didn't even believe him when he said he could sing, and then he did, and it was just mind blown—" Link laughed and shook his head, his hair flying into his face. "Man, man, oh man, I guess... You know he went to our school, right?"

Zelda nodded, that much she was aware of.

His head tilted, Link beamed at her. "He was majoring in some singing, but he was also the co-captain of the sword fighting team back then. I was a First Year when he was in his Fourth and, honestly, I wasn't all that great. I thought I wasn't." His pacing halted as Link crossed his arms, his mouth set in a frown. "The captain was this pompous redhead who only let the Thirds and Fourths fight in the tournaments. There wasn't much younger members but we all were so mad that he refused to let us sword fight, and we couldn't do anything about it."

When he paused, Zelda glanced up into eLLi's composed countenance, and prompted, "And eLLi?"

"He knew and he confronted Grease or Goose, but that guy was a total hardhead. And eLLi couldn't be with us a lot since he was training for WINWAR, but every time he wasn't, he helped us shape up. Man, the dedication was intense, like he trained us to the point that we could stand our ground against some of our senior fighters. Personally, I could win against a good half of them." There was a far away look in his eyes as Link rubbed the back of his neck. "That was all eLLi's work."

As he plopped next to Zelda, she was thinking of an appropriate question when Link took the remote from her and played the video. His arm upon his knee, he snickered as he murmured to Zelda, "And then there's your problematic main."

"Excuse me?" scoffed Zelda with a raise of her eyebrow.

Upon the screen, the boys had edged out of the alleyway and toward the crowded center of the plaza. A grand fountain spewed intricate bursts of water and upon the marble rim was a couple. When the camera closed in upon the two, Zelda's face immediately bloomed into a beaming grin.

"Neri, Neri, Neri." A hand tapped against Link's chin. "I don't know what his position is, honestly. I mean he sings, but not too much, and he doesn't rap, and he's not the best dancer, so the girls and I discussed it must be an appearance thing—"

Zelda came to his defense immediately, "He's more than a pretty face." More like under her breath, she added on, "Legends Entertainment undermines his potential."

Nudging her, Link suggested, "You mean they don't know how to play his nerdiness?"

"More than that!" she retorted at once. His jaw slightly agape, Link thought Neri was a touchy subject for the princess. "I mean, having his intellect is wonderful as it is, however I believe there's more than brains and beauty." Her position shifted as Zelda raised her pillowed legs against her chest and settled her chin on top. In a whisper, she added on, "He can benefit WINWAR in their performances if they just _let_ him."

Without another word, Zelda pressed play. For a moment, they watched in silence as Neri and his acting girlfriend displayed the common tendencies of a romantic relationship. Link thought he should try to improve his as he bent toward his wife and whispered, "Fun fact, Neri was the key for WINWAR's victory in some idol haunted-house competition called The Dark Temple."

A half-smile settled on her lips. "They only won second place and it's The Shadow Temple."

Nonetheless, Link was satisfied that there was some sort of smile on her face. He waited, watching as the other members surrounded the couple with congratulatory bouquets too excitedly and too early, and then Link brought up a very good question, "So what's this song called anyway?" At this point, Neri had lowered down to one knee and, like a bulb flickered above, it was very obvious to Link. "Maybe 'Arrange Marry Me,' or perhaps 'Be My Eighteen-Year-Old Wife'?"

It was funny to Zelda, but not enough to brighten her expression. Rather, she was smiling sadly as she still stared at the picturesque screen. "No, not even close." The actress on-screen was one second close to answering him when the sky began to rain piles of papers. Wryly, Zelda revealed, "It's _One Last Day_."

His forehead furrowing, Link squinted at the video. Sure, the atmosphere surely changed what with the group's puzzled faces, and especially when each member clasped a sheet of paper, basically defined by a single word; WAR.

"Oh, _hell no_." His hand into his hair, Link looked straight at Zelda, who was smiling knowingly. "Don't tell me—"

His statement cut off by himself as Link continued to watch with a sinking weight in his gut. On-screen, the group pretty much felt the same. Their eyes remained on the paper as Neri dropped his, pulling his girlfriend into a final embrace.

From her side, Zelda could hear sniffling that was intermingling with Link's breathing. Eyebrows knitted together, she looked at him. He looked away, trying to cover up by coughing suddenly. Much to his surprise, she twined an arm with his and returned her stare back to the screen, saying to him, "I won't judge you if you cry."

While the screen was blankly white, Link rubbed his nose. "I'm not. It's just sad. Because you know it's happened before, Goddesses know to how many couples back then."

In all honestly, Zelda had watched the video a few dozen times and she knew the plot was dramatized, but it never occurred to her that it was a reality for others. With a quick glance, she observed his pouting expression—which was his visible effort not to cry—and she wondered what else was going through that head of his.

All the while, the sinking in Link's stomach worsened. The white screen appeared to be a fog, which revealed a few at slow intervals; a sooty hand yet to move a muscle,, then a bloody bandage whipping in the silent breeze. Zelda had no longer watched these little things as she was interested to see Link run his teeth over his lower lip. He wore his feelings upon his facial features, which was much more fascinating to his wife.

"Oh my gods," he gasped at last and gripped Zelda's arm. "Are they dead? Are they all dead? What the hell? Why would—"

This time, she shut him up as the fog lifted and uncovered the persons underneath. For a moment, Link appeared to be correct. No longer were there smiling bright boys, but bruised and battered men scattered across the field. Link held his breath. Then a single figure stood slowly and without his iconic appearance.

"_What!_" shouted Link. "Whose _that_?!"

Her fingers pressed daintily to her lips, Zelda snickered, "It's Afroboy, of course."

And it was, however Trill had a bit of a makeover. His uncontrollable curls were now braided halfway his head, and the other half was a silky sheen of violet tresses. The sight lead Link to repeat, "Sweet Farore, haha!" Link was guffawing . "They tamed the afro, oh my gods,—_they did it!—_the afro has been tamed... Hahaha!"

Now that his sniffling had dissolved into laughter, Zelda was somehow amused. It was strange to see his mood shift so suddenly, however Link was the one vulnerable to his emotions. Her fingers tapping against her lower lip, the princess gave one glance at the screen—now that the song was starting, so were the members from their sprawled-out positions—and then back to her husband.

It was all wildly intriguing to watch Link's reaction. He was watching intensely as Trill ceased his rap and dance for Quill and eLLi who played their parts interchangeably for the chorus. Not noticing her staring once again, he turned to Zelda, his grin brilliant. "Don't you hear him? He's _the_ man, he's _so_ fly, that eLLi," he laughed and Zelda joined in, just because she just wanted to. But she didn't join him for everything, no not when he was able to imitate some of the choreography (and she, well, not that she wouldn't, but_ couldn't_) or when his inner fanboy arose again.

A low whistle emitted from his puckered mouth as his old sword fighting senior filled the third verse, or as Proxi stated—"_slays_ those high notes." While this made its impression on Link, on the other hand, the princess lazily laid her cheek into her cheek.

"Hey!"

Her interest increased in the slightest toward Link. "What?"

"Dude." His hands flat-out directed toward the screen, he said, "Was it really that boring?"

"No, it was impressive." The princess yawned noncommittally.

"You sure about that?"

"Actually," she started, and stretched her arm over her head, "singing that high isn't hard, it just tests how long you can keep that note. Which is impressive, but I've heard higher." With a scoff, she added on, "I've hit higher."

That served as a reminder to Link. "Oh, right! You're a singing major at our school! So you can probably sing—" A realization pulled his sentence to a stop as he suddenly leaned back and pushed back the instruments, grabbing the jumble of papers into one hand. The princess realized as well, immediately attempting to snatch the music sheets from Link just as he found exactly what he was searching for. "_One Fine Day_, huh? You never told me you sing their songs?"

Reverting back to her indifferent self, she snapped, "I never told you I could sing."

"True."

Successful, Zelda snatched her papers back and filed them into a neat pile. It appeared Link was rather amazed by her confirmation. Seeing that her husband wasn't particularly scared away by her tone of voice, she let out a slow sigh. "I'll sing for you."

"What? Really! Oh my gods, when—_now_?!"

"Not now. Later. Much later. Look, it's almost ending."

By just the prospect of hearing her sing, Link was grinning so greatly—possibly as greatly as he did for eLLi—as upon the screen, WINWAR was returning home. His hopes were high that all of them had survived the war (he told Zelda this and she told him that it was unfair to kill any of them in their own video), and he even beamed that they were walking toward the same plaza from before. Even brighter, Neri was smiling the most as his comrades waited in the alleyway.

"Oh, thank the Goddesses." Laying back onto the bed, Link covered his eyes. "He's alive. And he got to go home. Man, Lady Luck smiled on him since you know—"

Promptly, he was pulled his back. His stare was confusedly wide-eyed upon Zelda, but she glanced toward the screen. Link did too.

It was all explained in one scene. Neri stopping several feet away from her, hidden in the throngs of searching soldiers and halves. Then she, standing several feet away from him, at the side of another man and with child. However, it is only he who took in the sight of her.

"Din, Nayru, and Farore, _frick_ _me_."

Loud laughter burst from Zelda's lips.

As Link pinched the space between his eyes, he shouted, "Just turn it off, okay! Turn it off!"

She did, but she also couldn't help adding on, "He cries a smidge in the end." Her hands upon her own cheeks, the princess sighed dreamily as though thinking of her prince. "I already custom-ordered a poster of him with that fragile face."

Link didn't even think of looking around her room. "Don't you have enough already?"

"Why limit myself?" Zelda smirked.

"Because fifty posters of the same guy is kinda dangerously obsessive?"

"Thirty-six, actually. And it's not dangerous, I am not hurting him in any way." But then Zelda pondered for a moment. "No, it's thirty-seven now I have another in order... I suppose it's getting a tad out of hand?"

Link didn't answer that, because it was more than rhetorical. Rather, he crossed his arms and asked with honest curiosity, "Aren't your parents against this?"

"Oh, definitely," she nodded, tapping at her laptop. "Her Majesty has spoken to me several times, all that I should focus my time to the Hyruleans as a whole, and not just the ones who are praised for a pretty face."

"That's not what they're about. They're more than that. They sing and dance too."

"That's what I told her."

Link chuckled as Zelda gave in a small giggle. Just then her laptop tinged. Checking the alert, Zelda made a soft 'o' with her mouth and said to Link, "WINWAR made an appearance on _Mrs. Marie's School of Joy_."

"What?!" He rolled over to her side, checking her laptop as well. "I thought they're too new to be doing shows like that?"

She shrugged. "I guess not." They shared a glance. "Are you feeling close to 'conked out'?"

Link's answer was to swivel around and face her television. Just as Zelda joined him, he was close enough to hear the growl of her stomach. Because she never ate past midnight, the princess was going to ignore it, however Link leaned back on his elbows and declared, "Man, I'm dying for some Out-N-Set right now."

Genuine curiosity laced her question. "What's Out-N-Set?"

"WHAT."

"Yes, what." Her eyes were on her laptop, setting up the video. "I said what's Out-N-Set?"

"No way, no friggin' way, no way in Hyrule," mumbled Link to himself as he, in record time, ran out of her room.

Several moments later, Link returned triumphant.

Squinting at him, Zelda said, "Why are you smiling like that?"

Plopping beside her once again, Link replied, "I sent Raven out for an Out-N-Set run. He'll be back soon, and you're going to have a food party in your mouth."

"Isn't that where food should always be?"

"Just... Expect the most amazing hamburger you can ever imagine."

Doubt played about the princess' features. "Oh," she simply said. "It is hamburger, we are expecting?"

This rubbed Link the wrong way. "What's wrong with that?"

"I did not say there was something wrong."

The princess must had greatly influenced the prince as he narrowed his eyes, alike in her fashion. "So were you expecting like, I dunno, tea sandwiches with garden salad?"

"I do not suppose a burger joint would serve salad?"

"Pffffttt," Link laughed under his breath, and his head tilted. "I mean, well, they do, but going to Out-N-Set for a salad is like going to a prostitute for a hug."

Hearing the audacity of his joke, the princess gasped, before she emitted a snort-like snicker. It was expectant that Link joined, since he totally wasn't expecting to hear her laugh, rather for her to force him to shove that joke back inside his inappropriate head. But it was executed much more better than he expected.

With good timing, Raven interrupted with an armful of fast food. The guard was curious as to why the royal couple were dining so late at technically morning, but he thought it had something to do with strengthening their relations, or something. It was working anyway when Link and Zelda were eating on her bed with no concern for crumbs or spills. They were both making headway on their cheeseburgers with large portions of fries split between them.

"Stop sobbing, I can't hear Agatha's answer," whispered Zelda.

"It's just—it's just—" Link paused to stuff still-piping-hot fries into his mouth. Mostly muffled, he was saying, "The girls had been stealing my fries from me! Stealing every Out-N-Set fry in my life! Even though they pay for my every cheeseburger! Stealing my happiness!"

Unable to comprehend that, the princess had to pause the episode. Mrs. Marie was in the middle of shooting random multiplications that baffled the WINWAR members, aside from Zelda's favorite. Her eyebrows knitting together, she had to wait for Link to calm down. It took a few moments, but he did, and his first intelligible sentence was, "Can I try yours?"

Her eyes glanced down at her cheeseburger as her eyebrows now formed a skeptical 'V'. "Okay." She was about to hand Link her food, but surprising her, his hand came atop of her hamburger hand. Then he used their hands to push the cheeseburger toward him, before he took his bite. Before he consequently suffered.

"_Oh ffrrri—_" He struggled to chew, and then grabbed his fountain drink from the bedside table. After downing half of it, he gasped. "Dear Din... What in Hyrule... What are you eating?"

Again, Zelda's eyes glanced down at her cheeseburger. "Jalapeno cheese—"

A huff of disbelief left his mouth. "You like spicy food?"

"Very much so."

Eyes narrowed, Link stared at her as he bit into his plain cheeseburger.

"It's quite appetizing," she stated laughingly, taking another bite. Link groaned. "I like this one the best."

That had been their mission for the morning as the princess had taken a few bites out of the other choices, scattered about her bed. Slowly taking in their mess, Link munched on another piece of fry. His head was continuously bumping against hers as it occurred to Zelda that he was feeling the edges of sleep. Noting that, she was quiet as she pressed play again. They learned Agatha's answer to ninety-nine ninety-nines was somehow _Jewel Beetle_. Link yawned. With Zelda studying closely, his eyes closed on his own, but then the next time they opened, he saw Mrs. Marie and her cohosts, the Killer Bees, roaming the hallways.

"What are they doing now?" he said sleepily.

"It's hide-and-seek. WINWAR is hiding for five minutes, and then Mrs. Marie with the Killer Bees will hide for the same time limit. Then it's WINWAR's turn again, therefore the cycle continues until all members are found on one team," Zelda explained, hoping the long-winded explanation will lull Link to sleep. "Sleepy?"

He blinked, slowly, reminding her of a child. _Cute. _"Whose turn is it?"

"Mrs. Marie and the Killer Bees are seeking."

"Oh." Zelda thought this would be the moment he fell asleep, but he continued talking, "You know it would be fun to be a Hyrulean idol. Getting to play hide-and-seek, and being paid for it. Easy. I'm a pro at hide-and-seek. Just ask the kids. They said I dance funny, but I can dance too. If I can learn to play a harp, I can learn to sing or rap or both. Yeah. Hire me, Legends of Entertainment." His ranting began to dwindle as he lay on his side, his eyes half-opened. Carefully, Zelda rested her fingers into his hair. Soft, like his voice was becoming to. "It's okay if idols are criticized harshly. They can take it. It's music, it's performance, it's an industry, not a whole country..."

It was so crystal-clear apparent to Zelda. Of course, she hadn't been on speaking terms to him, but he complied as well, not saying a word. With a voice saved for talking to kindergarteners, the princess bent toward Link and murmured, "Did you look up those mean articles about you?"

Almost inaudibly, he said, "Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"I don't," he mumbled, placing a hand onto his eyes. "I don't wanna, but I think they're right. I don't have the time. The time of those rich guys who trained, like, they spent so much time to impress you and the country. The time I spent is so... so in-si-nig-fi-cant compared to them... I don't have what they have and I need..." Trailing off, Link's breathing was becoming similar as to when he slept. "Time is falling hard and I don't wanna be crushed."

Almost to herself, Zelda declared, "You won't."

"Huh?"

Right now was the moment the princess felt most knowledgeable. A soft smile gracing her lips—this was so familiar to Link but he didn't know _why_—, she repeated, "You won't be crushed. You're standing on your own because there's something remarkable about you, Link, and it will continue to keep you on your feet. Duke Windfall and those confounded writers are blind to it, that's all." Softer now, her voice lowered in volume, "Even if you fall, I'll save you, Link."

It had to be the goddesses' work, Zelda thought, that Link had fallen asleep before that last line. It was also their work that she had conveniently forgot to kick him out of her bedroom, so what was she to do with her 'conked out' husband in her bed?

**.**

When morning light streamed into the princess's quarters, neither husband or wife was bothered by the brightness. Rather, they slept on, even when Impa tapped twice upon the glass doors. Receiving no answer, she had no choice but to intrude anyway, since there was an imminent matter at hand.

The Out-N-Set trash was still left on the princess' bed, but that wasn't what caught Impa's attention. It was that Link's tousled head was propped by Zelda's tummy, his right hand rested on his own, and his left smushed by Zelda's shoulder. All the while, Zelda's slumbered with her profile facing Link, her left hand laying on the other side of her stomach, and her right tangled into Link's hair. Neither had yet to notice their sleeping stances, and Impa only watched in silent judgement, before Ezlo came bursting through the doors ad shouting, "Your Highness, Your Highness, please rise as of this very moment?"

That hadn't disturbed Link's sleep, but his more sound-sensitive wife who rubbed her eyes and blinked up at Link's adviser. There was one reason as to his presence in her room, therefore Zelda shoved Link off her body, so he came crashing to the carpeted floor. Rubbing his head, Link yawned and looked up, noticing Ezlo's harried appearance.

"Your Highness, you must clean up as quickly as possible, up, up, up!"

As Ezlo was speed-walking out of Zelda's room, Link sat up on her floor and yawned again. Zelda had already fallen back sleep so Impa was gently shaking her awake. Since she knew more than either of them did, Link stood and questioned her, "What's got Ezlo so worked up?"

"Your Highness has 'worked up' Elder Ezlo," Impa spoke, as the princess swatted her hands away, "because Your Highness must meet with the King of Hyrule in less than an hour."

**.**

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**[tbc]**

* * *

**8/11/2015 revision: **

**okay it's not even a revision tbh... i'll stop rushing to finish these chapters, but i lie and i'm not going to anymore. i usually try to update once per month but with school approaching, it's more maybe not than maybe yea and i really apologize to my readers for this thank u for staying with me.**

** next chapter previews: impa already spilled the beans whoops. **

**thanks for those reviews last chapter! wow! how was this one?  
**

**Arison Nakaru:** nah he's aight and ready to mingle ❤

**Koolkat222: **it's gonna get more confusing sorry ❤

**Skydragon72193:** ty for reading through it all ❤

**Doodle Ladle: **hello hello hope u enjoy poppy's absence and this ZELINK OVERLOAD ❤

**James Birdsong:** thank ❤

**Flower in the Breeze:** if it wasn't for tht, link would've definitely BS the speech and failed b/c he's link ❤

**tpzelink: **wow whoa wow okay so hey later's better than never! your compliments were very sweet, especially about link's and zelda's characterization since that's what i wanted &amp; i hoped u enjoy this chapter. wasn't zelda that got hurt, but yanno... link ❤

**Chameleon Eyes:** yes, it would suck if poppy... stole her throne and husband... a love shape thats fo sure haha everything turned out alright in the end (-ish) &amp; poppy is based off cia b/c of ❤

**ThisIsANiceName: **poppy &amp; zelda already met before since they're amiably acquainted but i guess u mean like in-story they meet then yea ❤

**me:** um okay :/ thanks iguess ❤

**Same Guest**: i look forward to seeing ur new account :D feelings r slowly computing into zelda's motherboard lol ❤

**Generala: **well maybe or maybe not haha and i chose poppy as her name because ❤

**~ loveandzelink **


	11. need

**11**

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"Your Highness may enter."

After receiving the official okay, Link got up from the waiting parlor as well as the suited posse. Rudrum and Raven held the carved double doors open for Link as Rinku bowed for Link to enter. He did so, but meekly. His fingers were locked together behind his back as he glanced around his dimly lit surroundings. It was somewhat similar to his own bedroom, but to the next degree as this was the master bedroom fit for a king. Speaking of, the King of Hyrule was nowhere to be seen among the many, ornate fabrics of the literal king-size bed. Rather, Link found him after hearing his name being called.

"Your Majesty?" called back Link. The prince turned around, finally spotting the king reading comfortably in a chair. It was within a sitting area away from the bed that the king prepared his meeting with Link. A bundle of nerves began to tangle in his gut as he made his way over. When the king looked up from his reading, Link bent into a formal bow and declared, "May I take this seat across from Your Majesty?"

The King of Hyrule was a heavy man, that of presence. Even when reading, the ruler of Hyrule called for absolute attention and there should be nothing but reverence for him. However, these impulses aside, there was also an atmosphere that definitely cleared Link's anxieties.

A smile formed the king's mouth. "You may. You may also cut the formalities."

Knowing when to smile back, Link slowly sat on the sectional sofa. "You got it, Your Majesty."

There was a wave of the king's hand. "You are not required to call me as all others will. I believe 'Father' is more appropriate in this situation?"

_Is that a joke?_ Link thought, before deciding to respond with, "I think I'll start with Sir."

The smile widened upon the king's expression. "If you choose to do so." Closing his book, the king lowered it upon a end table beside his chair and lifted his hand into his beard. The white strands winding around his fingers, the monarch inquired, "Tell me, how is the castle treating you?"

"It's treating me good—well, I mean." His fist to his mouth, Link coughed. "The hospitality of everyone in the palace is great. Really great. I'd give it a 11/10." Upon that last statement, Link wanted to shove it back into his throat, but he concluded with an awkward smile. Then he realized something kinda off. Really, the king hadn't paid attention to anything that came out of his mouth. He was fixating really hard at Link and so he thought it was okay to ask, "Sir? Sir, are you alright?"

With a shake of his head, the king broke his strange state. "Ah, oh, is that so? " He laughed, bringing a pinched hand between his crinkled eyes. "I apologize that these old eyes of mine have lingered too long, it is unforgivable. However, they must be playing tricks on me for I simply cannot..."

Since he didn't finish his sentence, Link prompted, "Cannot?"

Still, his hand remained and the king completely opened his eyes. "Son, it brings nostalgia when I look into your face of youth."

"How come?" replied Link, trying to decide if this was going the wrong way.

A moment passed as the king smiled to himself, as though sharing an inside joke to himself, before revealing, "You are the undeniable picture of that ol' scoundrel, Smith, when he was your age."

_Smith. My grandpa. Right_, Link thought and joined in a smile. "Really?"

"Why, of course! Tell me, you are the same age as my daughter, is that correct?" Link nodded. "Of course. Smith had entered that fateful tournament when he was eighteen as well. Ah, that was a moment I would never forget, when I first met with his confident countenance—exactly like yours, but he had that cocky smile of his—and I had the thought back then, 'There was no chance upon Din's green earth that I could lose to a young'un to the likes of him'. But the battle ended with no winner and I learned he aged the same as I." His hand lowered and the effect of the memory had the king grinning greatly. "Smith Forria was a extraordinary man and one that I am honored to have encountered in my lifetime."

Link knew his grandfather would define their camaraderie verbatim as the King of Hyrule, even though Link never heard of it. Somehow. "That was Grandpa."

"Do you sword fight as well, son?"

The question came as a surprise to Link. "How'd you know?"

"The calluses upon your palms." The hand upon his neck lifted and Link looked down at it, incredulously. "You must be practicing for years, or it may be that you have not been donning the proper equipment."

"Ten years, actually." Nodding seriously, Link added on, "When Grandpa first taught me, I hadn't really taken it as seriously."

As though Link was truly his son, pride illuminated the king's aged countenance. "Son, with that many years of practice behind you—and I am certain with your mentor as your grandfather—, you must have the capability of sword fighting in the leagues of masters."

Sheepishly, Link rubbed his neck again. "I mean _I_ wouldn't say I fight with the masters, but my sword fighting crew did get accepted into Nationals."

"What amazing and astounding news!" boomed the king, suddenly bursting with energized volume, and for a moment Link thought he saw the same expression as Zelda when she was talking about her boybands. "The highest honor in Hyrule! Tell me, you are aware that Hyrule is the most elite country around for raising sword fighters with strength and with heart?"

Sword fighting sounded like a much bigger dealio than Link thought. "I wasn't aware of that, Sir. But to hear that," Link cleared his voice and tapped his fist against his heart, "it makes me realize how much of a hella honor it is to be a Hyrulean sword fighter."

His modern slip-up passed by the King who simply acknowledged his statement with a nod. Then he spoke, "I hope you do not mind my asking, but when begins your tournament? I hope your group of fighters have made proper preparations?"

"Three months, I think?" Link thought again. "Yeah, three months. My team and I have been practicing for a while now. I have it all figured out." There was the way contemplation began to work the thinking gears in Link and the king anticipated what exactly was on his mind. "There needs to be a balance, you see, between attacking and guarding, so I have Rikken, Jagar, and Darek—they're the key to my offensive plays and then Clint and Bubby for my defensive, but I also have Percy and Henry on neutral safeguard when they're also offense players too, and—" The gears in his head suddenly ground to a halt as Link glanced up at the King of Hyrule, whom he just rambled endlessly towards. "Sir, I am so sorry for just talking on and on when you didn't even ask to know, oh my—"

What just happened was brushed off with a wave of his hand. "No need to apologize, son. It sounds as though you worked assiduously to know the individuals of your group." A moment passed as the monarch paused. "Although I would like to see your strategies for myself. Would it be too much of a bother if I attended your tournament?"

His voice was hoarse. "Attend.. my tournament?"

"I suppose it would be too much of a spectacle if I was to observe, hmm?" Link knew the press was going to be perhaps five times as large if the King of Hyrule was coming, not that _that_ was intimidating Link. Maybe, just a little. "What thoughts inhabit your mind, son? Would you prefer if I bring along my daughter as well?"

The image of Crown Princess Zelda cheering for her husband's team—_my, mine, me_, Link thought—upon the stands brought a funny shade of pink to burn his cheeks. Just to hide that, he ducked his head before the king and responded with, "I would be honored if the King of Hyrule and Princess Zelda were to attend."

"Then I shall save the date."

"Sir, I'll be fighting my best that day."

"Son, I look forward to it.

Then silence, although Link wouldn't call it awkward. But then it kinda was when the King had reverted back into his strange state. Respectful, Link smiled.

"It is most unusual." The king reclined his head back, but his eyes rested on Link. "I cannot help studying you and seeing Smith in my eyes. It only feels like just yesterday when we were eighteen and we were sparring till the amount of our perspiration accumulated enough to fill the Great Sea. With that, I would always retire early, but he would shout," the King suddenly chuckled to himself, before continuing, "he would have his sword pointed to me and he'd shout, 'Duel with me once more, Daltus!'"

His laughter fading, the king rubbed his tired eyes. Somehow, Link felt a tug of sympathy when staring at a sickly soul lost in his own past. With that, he suddenly stood onto his feet. Catching that action, the king removed his hand and looked up at Link inquisitively. Not once did Link think of the consequences as he thrusted his sword-hand forward and tried to shout, "Duel with me once more, Daltus!"

The king's reaction was to freeze his expression and to widen his eyes. Link could see that maybe it was his eyes that Zelda inherited, not the blue of her mother's. And then he realized what crazy imitation he attempted and he called the King of Hyrule by his first name and _oh my goddesses_, couldn't a prince get thrown in jail for this kinda thing?!

"O-a-oah, _ohmygods_, I'm sorry, I am _so_ sorry, I didn't—"

To his shock, Link was broken off by the loudest laughter he'd ever heard. He couldn't say anything as the king then clapped his hand over his gaping mouth, still pouring his peals of amusement. Then the king began to clap, quite loudly at that, as he declared, "That was fantastic, son! Exactly like that, yes, exactly like Smith! Dear Hyrule, that was a bit too much for this ancient heart of mine! I had sworn I was seeing Smithie right before me."

Immediately sitting back down, a slight laugh emitted from Link. "I'm glad you enjoyed, Sir."

"Oh, I must not linger in the past, anyhow." His mind had wandered when the king inquired, "How is life treating Leilana?"

With any other name, Link's thoughts would be blank, however, in this context with the King of Hyrule being his grandfather's BFF, Link quickly connected two and two. As if he was his grandfather himself, Link rubbed his neck and laughed like old times, "My grandma? She was working herself a lot, but now she has time to relax with the orphanage help. Grandma really loves that place."

"Kind Kokiri Homes, was it?" the king offered.

_Homes_ was emphasized to Link as he missed his dearly. "Yeah, my grandpa owns and manages that old joint. She used to have a lot of help from Grandpa. The one who started the place was him anyway. Uhh," Link coughed, lowering his eyes. "Smith, I guess, to you, Sir?"

Nostalgia appeared to inhabit the king's mind as he veered slightly off-topic. "Has Smith ever told you the story of how he managed to court Leilana, my boy?"

_Millions of times_, Link wanted to say. It was a favorite anecdote for Aryll and the orphans so Link could probably recite the story from both his grandparents' perspective. However, hearing the king's version as a bystander to the romance sounded pretty interesting to Link. "Yes, Sir," he admitted, but then added on, "but it'd be hella rad if you could tell your side of the whole thing?"

It was a right answer. Laughing loudly, the king folded his fingers over his stomach and reminisced easily. "It's simple, really. Smith dawdled at first, nevertheless he had always loved Leilana. Did he tell you the first time he had chanced upon your grandmother?"

Memories of his grandfather were still fresh to Link. "On an island," he started, soft, but sure. "Because of a veteran swordsman. He wanted to learn so he stayed on the island for a few weeks. I think he said he never saw the sea before and he fell in love with one look. That was the same for my grandma too." A hand upon his nape, Link chuckled to the side. "It felt like hours when grandpa would describe his first sight of her."

"Ah, that ol' Smith, he didn't save the children from his besotted heart." _I think that's a joke, _Link thought and responded with a small snicker. "The first time, I suppose it was ah, _cute_,—and I do mean cute as in an earnest endearment of a young dog—to hear Smith describe in deep, _deep_ detail. I suppose I must had stopped him at some point, however there was a fire to his eyes that I've only witnessed when we parry. It was passion, son."

_So by that way of thinking, _Link thought and resisted tapping his chin, _if Zelda saw how dope I look while sword fighting, she would realize I lov_—_like her as much as sword fighting?  
_

"But after that, I will tell you it was hours. Ah, if my memory serves me right, your grandfather was in his moments while I had to attend to piles of paperwork. And that day, I believe I had gone through the entire province ordinances, yet Smith was still on the subject of his beloved Leilana." It was instinct that the king and Link shared a laugh. "That was not all, not the least of it. I had to hear of his infatuation two times a day, five times if your grandfather was feeling particularly lovestruck." Still chuckling, the king brushed through his beard as he continued, "One would think Smith would rush to the first ship back to Outset Island."

Even though Link knew what happened then and onward, he prompted, "Did you convince him to return?"

It was funny to Link that the king's shoulder lifted and dropped. "I would not say that decision was based on my persuasion. However." Nostalgia lingered as he smiled to himself. "I would say that my words had a ninety-percent affect on Smith. Oh, that ol' boy, he traveled for as long as he was allowed to, and the idea of staying in one spot seemed impossible to him. Especially when that location was not Hyrule." The king released a wistful sigh. "In spite of that, I suppose love has no bounds. For Smith, it only required one question and one answer."

Honestly, the King of Hyrule was rarely mentioned in his grandfather's tales, but Link knew. "Did you ask him," Link murmured, the words delicate on his tongue, "if he loved her?"

"That I did. I remember the look on his face as though he never heard of love before." While wisps of white hair twined around the king's finger, he thought considerably. "I hadn't received his worded answer, until there was an invitation to their wedding. It was beyond me to attend, therefore they sent me a photograph. I no longer have that picture in my possession, however I remember they're being blissful and that single memory was ultimately beautiful."

Link knew he had the same photograph hanging in Kind Kokiri Homes' sitting room. Honestly, his grandparent's old-people love were relationship goals. But then there was the part after his grandfather passed away, that his grandma would spend hours staring at the exact same photograph. His mood dampened when Link could clearly recall the silhouette of her frail figure whenever he did not have the courage to interrupt her mourning, alone.

All of a sudden, Link wanted nothing more but to go home.

"Has death warmed upon you, son?" Without checking his appearance, Link shook his head. The actual 'sick' part was only making him sick with worry. "Ah, I suppose I could be of some help? What lays heavy on your mind?"

"I didn't—I guess I didn't know how much—how much Grandma must had—" A sniffle cut off his sentence, before Link realized it was his, "—I really hope my grandma's doing alright."

His beard still wrapped around his finger, the king waved his other hand. "Is that all?"

"Is... Is that all?" repeated Link lowly.

"Son, you only need to say the word," the King of Hyrule whispered, his eyes glinting in a sharp-witted way that reminded Link of his wife, "and it will be done."

**.**

It came as a surprise to Link that Zelda's reaction was a small shrug.

"Really?" he gasped. "It's okay with you?"

As always, the princess rolled her eyes. "Royal Privilege, can't you remember? If His Royal Majesty says I have to go, I'll go to your peasant place and do peasant matters. Whatever that is." Despite all that Zelda insulted his home, Link's great grin was hurting his face. It was a good pain, though. "Besides, it would had been a pain in my royal behind to watch you cry for your grandmother."

She wasn't being intentionally funny, but Link laughed anyway. Poke fun at him all she wanted, it did not change the fact that Link was to return to Kind Kokiri Homes. Sure, it was a few weeks, but nothing. There were no cons, whatsoever. Link was allowed to go home, go hug his grandmother with his own arms, go hug the kids, go hug Aryll even, and there was nothing more to look forward to than _to go_.

Especially that there was the condition that Princess Zelda must accompany him.

"Oh, goddesses, you're in a good mood, aren't you?" The bounce of his bobbing head was incredibly irritating to Zelda. "Just shut up and watch?" Link was glad to comply, but then Zelda faced him again with a scowl. "When did you say we were leaving?"

The date was branded into Link's brain. "After my coronation."

"O_kay_, when's that?"

"Like two weeks?"

"You do know what's going to happen, right?"

Thankfully, Link was not lying when he repeated, "Right."

"I'm not going to next to you, like in the wedding, so you're out on your own, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Sweet Nayru," the princess grumbled to herself, a fist to her forehead, "just—just don't talk to me."

When Link motioned zipping up his lips, her annoyance level skyrocketed. A moment passed, before Zelda pressed play, before shoving her husband off her bed. He tumbled onto the chaise before her bed, which was just as comfortable. Stuffing a few pillows into his lap, Link glanced up at the television screen, where it was picking off from their midnight meeting.

From what Link could remember, WINWAR was involved in an advanced version of Hide-And-Seek with the Killer Bees and Mrs. Marie. He guessed that it was the singers' turn to hide, however their leader was wandering around a hallway. As though he was the player on screen, an anxious knot formed in Link's gut as he watched eLLi glance into the camera and give a thumbs-up.

"He's screwed," blurted Link just as a Killer Bee popped into proximity.

Despite her words before, Princess Zelda wasn't furious with him. Rather, she focused on-screen as eLLi entered the stairway, the seeker hot on his heels. Glancing back, Link squinted at Zelda's contemplative countenance, before she murmured, "No, he's not screwed."

_30 Seconds!_ displayed across the screen and sounded on the school intercom. There was a split-second montage of the other WINWAR members either hiding or foolishly out in the open like their leader. Returning back to him, eLLi grinned upon hearing the time down to twenty as he reached the stairwell's end. It wasn't a large space, however Link was beginning to understand eLLi's strategy.

"He's gonna try to divert the time until it's his turn," he realized aloud.

From behind, his wife plopped her chin in her hand, commenting, "Slow much?"

Rubbing the nape of his neck, her husband complimented, "You would be good at this."

"You don't know that," she huffed, shaking her remote. "Watch it."

Link listened, watching with engrossed fascination when twelve seconds remained. This was the crucial moment when the Killer Bee could choose to let him escape and hide themselves. However, he chose the opposite.

"Dumb move," sighed Link. Zelda raised a brow. "That dude, eLLi, is way too fast."

Link being correct, eLLi used his agility to his advantage and wasted the time down to three seconds. It was then his stance shifted as the Killer Bee realized too late. He attempted to keep his back away from eLLi, only to have the former sword fighter bound sideways, once, twice, and then roll to a stop before the backside. Without warning, the Killer Bee heard the intercom announce for WINWAR and he lunged forward as eLLi's sword-hand clasped the velcro nametag.

This passed by the princess, but not for Link. He recognized the steel sharpness to eLLi's eyes that was also present when he was on the sword fighting field. It was completely relatable. But, all too quickly, the edge vanished as eLLi straightened with the tag in his hand, his saffron eyes crinkled into a smile, before he bowed before the defeated Killer Bee.

"That was..." Link's mouth was agape as it suddenly occurred to him, "That was the Back Slice."

Her gaze lazily flickering to her husband, the princess inquired, "What?"

That was a mistake as Link launched into his explanation, "It's a sword fighting move developed by old, old Hyrulean sword fighters like wayyyy back then! You see how he was right in front of the Killer Bee, but then he jumped, jumped, and rolled in from behind and slashed his hand across his enemy's back?!" Widened eyes flickered to Zelda's raised eyebrows. Well, she must had gotten the gist of it. "That was the Back Slice! It's a harder move if you actually have a sword in your hand and eLLi might be a little rusty, but he executed the Back Slice perfectly! Haha! I knew he still had it in him!"

A few minutes into his exhilarated explanation, Zelda paused the show and glowered at his animated expression. "You said that he taught you when you were a First Year?"

"Yeah! Oh man, eLLi was the chillest sword fighter. Not only was he nice, he was _super_ nice," he giggled, and it was the strangest occurrence how pleasing his '_hehe_' was to her. "He didn't just back up the less confident members of our team, but he also defended the theater girls when they wanted to play the Hero of Hyrule and the fashion guys when they wanted to model their HyRoyal gowns and just—I don't know—his sense of justice was probably annoying to some people, but to me, it was just... _awesome_," Link finished, his voice still reverent.

Her voice was dubious. "You two sound somewhat close."

"I mean we were, but now..." His arm flopping behind his head, Link shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful for how much he helped me, but... I don't know. I guess, after he graduated, we met up a few times and those were fun." His stare lost, Link lowered his arm as he mumbled, "And then he debuted as WINWAR... He got really busy... His phone number changed a lot after that so I... I gave up."

_How depressing_, Zelda wanted to say, but she said, "I suppose some connections were not meant to last."

"Oh, yeah, definitely," chuckled Link.

Not on board with an awkward silence, the princess plopped down next to Link. She could make this better—Zelda _knew_ she could—as soon as it appeared on her phone. After finding what was on her mind, the princess passed it over to Link.

It was a news article._ Just what I needed_, Link thought. "The leader of WINWAR, Elli Elecrim," he read in a uncertain mumble, "has been confirmed to make his acting debut... Acting?" Facing Zelda, his expression was amusedly aghast as he exclaimed, "Like the act of acting, he's into _that_?!"

With the phone back in her hand, the princess continued, "The singer of the rising boyband has been chosen to star in a Romance-Fantasy television drama." With a glance at Link's unchanged shock, Zelda spoke with a melodramatic flair, "For his first acting role, Elli has been casted as the Crimson Loftwing."

His hand to his mouth, Link gasped.

"While information is still tentative, the fantasy element of this drama will be carried out through CGI animation, and for Elli, this will be his first time working as a voice actor as well. For this particular drama, Elli will be voice-acting a mythical creature, the legendary Crimson Loftwing, and acting as its human form."

"That is _so_ sick_,_" remarked Link. "What's this about anyway?"

She thought about it. "A princess named Zelda."

He thought about it as well. "Doesn't it bother you when the female leads are always called Princess Zelda?"

"It's tradition to name the first princesses 'Zelda' in Hyrule so I'm certain that they don't mean me, specifically." She looked at him, but he shrugged. "Anyway Princess Zelda fights evil or something and she has a wolves, but they can, like, turn into humans or something. What was it called?" The title was somewhere in Zelda's mind, but she'd rather read for it. "Oh... here it is, _My Blue-Eyed Beastly Bodyguards_."

Stifling his snickers, Link said, "What's it with falling for your bodyguards?"

Her eyes hardened into a glare. "Why would you ask me?"

All of her bodyguards were normal (or as normal as highly trained bodyguards could get) Hyruleans, which was the about the same for Link. She didn't have to look to know that Link was rubbing his neck, sheepishly. "Good point."

"I don't really watch television anyway so." The princess threw her phone onto her thigh, leaned back into the chaise, and clicked the television back into play. "Don't talk to me."

Even though she initiated the conversation, he shut up anyway. Link wasn't as quite as focused to the show now, and as far as he knew, WINWAR was doing the worst job seeking. Still, Princess Zelda was stony-faced as her fingers locked underneath her chin. Link glanced at her to check if there were any changes to her expression, which there was none. Not until it was the Killer Bee's turn to seek.

Link wanted to, but he didn't comment on Zelda's problematic favorite exiting his hiding place, a bathroom stall. Shaking his head, Link predicted a Killer Bee and Mrs. Marie popping into the restroom; that surprised Neri in the middle of checking his reflection. Link found amusement in the anxiety lining Zelda's forehead as Neri realized how much of a huge halfwit he was, before he attempted to lunge back into the stall.

As the Killer Bee caught his shoulder, Link opened his mouth, but Zelda slapped her hand over it. "No. Nothing. _Whatsoever_."

"Alright," he mumbled, her hand off, as Mrs. Marie was apologizing that she had to remove Neri's nametag.

Without warning, the Killer Bee was tackled to the tiled flooring, freeing Neri from his hold. Looking up, he met the broad back of his fellow member, Leaf.

It must had been a interception of the television, but the shrill squeal sounded like it came from—

"You alright?" Leaf called and stepped back, but he faced the Killer Bee and a startled Mrs. Marie. "Hey, Neri, you need to run."

Already standing, Neri noticed that he was near the exit. He looked toward Leaf with an expression that basically said _I'm not leaving. _Link looked toward Zelda who was immediately beaming.

"Yo, Zel—"

Her hand clapped over Link's mouth once again, however she said nothing further. She was far too entranced with Neri who was ready to argue, but then Leaf made a sudden move, shoving Neri out just as Mrs. Marie seized his arm. Struggling, he shouted, "I'll be fine!" Nobody believed that as the Killer Bee jokingly restrained him into a headlock. "Run for it, Neri!"

And then Neri forced his head to turn, before he ran.

"Yeeeessss," murmured Zelda as her eyes were bright, sparkling really. "Dear Nayru. Oh my goddesses. Did you see that? Did _you_ see that?!" The stars in her eyes must be real, then that must mean the smile gracing her lips was as well. Link couldn't bring himself to blink, somehow arrested. "Out of all people... I knew it. It was undeniable, after all, LeRi is real after all, hahahaha—"

All of a sudden, her grin dropped into an open 'O' as she noticed Link. He was smiling, content to watch her. But she didn't like anyone watching her, especially Link, so to clear things up, she inquired, "You don't know what LeRi is... Do you?"

"LeRi? What's that?" Inside, the princess let out a slow sigh of relief. "Could it be a couple name for WINWAR members, Leaf and Neri, who are supposedly in a romantic gay—"

"I can't be here," Princess Zelda blurted and shoved a pillow into Link's face. While he was distracted, she was tripping her way out of her bedroom. "Right now! Don't wait for me!" The door almost shut on her way out, but Zelda opened it a moment later to yell at Link, "_Get out of my room!_"

**.**

The last time Link was in the Temple of Time, he was signing his life to Zelda's. There was also the fact that he was married in front of so many people. Link thought the audience was at least seven. More than seven people were seated upon these rows and rows of wooden benches and Link was waiting on the front one while the suited posse scanned the place. A few moments passed before they gave him the okay, so Link got up and checked the place out.

"Where is Rauru?" inquired Link as he looked up at a Triforce pedestal.

Raven and Rinku shrugged as Rinku was the only one to answer, "We were told to wait here. Would Your Highness like us to contact him?"

"No, s'kay," mumbled Link, spotting a hallway from the side of the altar area. "I'll look for him."

After much persistence, Link was able to search alone. The suited posse watched as Link strode into a hallway and, quickly, he disappeared around a turn and chuckled to himself. His bodyguards kept him on a tight leash sometimes, but it was out of his own safety. Tired, he moaned to himself, before realizing that it wasn't him who would made a breathy sound like that.

Paranoid now, Link slammed himself against the wall, before noticing it was a door. Forehead furrowed, he further pressed his head against the wood just to hear a male mutter, "What was that?"

Link clamped his hand over his mouth. Silence ensued.

"Nothing? Nobody's here... so come on~"

"I dunno, I reckon I could—"

_Hold on_, Link thought abruptly,_ I know this voice_.

"Don't worry about it, just—"

The door slammed open.

Out of all places, Link did not expect to see a couple in the house of the Goddesses. Especially one of them being a priest. Well, if Link didn't know if there were types for priests before, he knew now. Ironically enough, the girl oozed an appearance as seductive as sin. As stranger-danger lady separated herself from the priest, it was obligatory for Link to lower his vulnerable eyes. Still, he could feel her piercing stare take an appreciate once-over, before she took her leave.

With just the two of them, the priest stuck out his hand to Link. "Hey, Your Highness! How's married life?"

Link didn't shake his hand, rather his index finger pointed to his collarbone. "Father Lloyd, you got a little..."

"Oh?" The priest glanced down at the bruise-like blemish. "OH! Hahaha!" Surprising Link, he was laughing while he fumbled to button up his cassock. Then Link could hear him mutter to the side, "_I said no marks._"

It was time for an intervention. "Hey," Link started, and the priest gave an amicable smile. "Aren't you... like... not allowed to do that?"

Father Lloyd cocked his head, still smiling. "Do what now?"

_Not my job to save him_, Link thought. "Nothing."

"Never mind that!" The priest smoothly sidled next to Link and asked, "What can I do for Your Highness?"

"I'm looking for Rauru."

He thought about it. "You came to the right place, but I haven't seen him this morning." For a moment, Link thought he got the location or the time wrong, but then the suited posse would never screw up their information. "He's a bit of a night owl so he's most likely dozing off. There's too much morning light for him, y'know?"

Link blinked. "I guess?"

Father Lloyd leaned into Link. "Would y'like for me to give him the good ol' wakey-shakey?"

Honestly, the importance of sleep was somewhat of a moral code to Link so he shook his head. "I'll wait for him."

"Alright! Sit tight in the sanctuary 'cause I'll be back!"

With that, the priest strode down the opposite way Link came. Shrugging, Link returned to the suited posse who had to confirm twenty times that the prince was unharmed, before waiting outside. Immediately after that, Father Lloyd entered the sanctuary with a tray of tea and a broom. But then whenever it was Crown Prince Education, Ezlo always _always_ made Link a strong brew of tea. Strong enough to force him awake with its trash-like taste, although Link wasn't sure if that was Ezlo's intention.

"So," the priest began to say and sweep as well, "what brings ya to the temple?"

After drinking, Link realized tea didn't have to taste so nasty, before replying, "I'm supposed to do my coronation rehearsal today, but Rauru is sleeping right now and he's the one whose suppose to conduct the whole thing."

"Oh, coronation already? It feels like just last week Your Highness was married!"

"Right?" mused Link. And then he tilted his head, saying, "I read through the processes of the Royal Coronation, but I'm not sure why you aren't conducting it? Like you did for the wedding?"

Father Lloyd stopped sweeping, only to plant his chin upon the broom. "I'm not too sure either, but I know the Royal Hyrulean weddings was more based from religious origins. Y'know religion is a big thing for the monarchy?" Link sipped his tea and shook his head. "It is. But, anyway, weddings are a more Goddesses-centric deal than a coronation because in exchange for devoting ya'selves to the Goddesses' creations and to each other, the Goddesses are supposed to bless the royal couple with the good stuff. Good vibes, happy citizens, super-long peacetime, great money flow, healthy brats, y'know the normal relationship stuff."

His mouth on the rim of the cup, Link said, "Can't you say the same for a coronation?"

"Nope." The priest was sweeping again when he explained, "It's not about what the couple will do in the favor for the Goddesses, but about what Your Highness will do in the favor of your people. The coronation is more political since it involves representatives from all over Hyrule, the Sages as Your Highness might know them and Rauru is the Light Sage whose taking control of the whole thing, right? There will also be people from outside the country as well."

"Great," the prince, in-name, mumbled into his tea.

"Nah." Link looked up at the priest who had dropped his broom and was crouched next to Link's pew. This kid must be paranoid on a whole new level as he whispered, "Things ain't great. Don't ya feel it? Feels icky, uh-huh?" Link had no idea what he was talking about. "Hush... it's nasty now—"

Promptly, the temple doors opened.

"—Makes sense now," the priest chuckled.

Not hearing him at all, Link set his cup onto the tray and met the gaze of his dearest wife. Just the tiniest tad giddy, he hastily made his way toward Zelda and attempted not to blind her with his bright beam. It seems now that she has to talk to him, which she never did after the LeRi incident.

Before he could say nothing, she did. "What the hell is _that_ doing here?"

Looking back, Link realized _that _was referring to Father Lloyd. The priest stood up, straightened his cassock, and spoke, "Pardon Your Highness, but I work here."

"Oh please," Zelda scowled and crossed her arms so tightly, Link had to free her arms apart. "Why don't you—"

"—Take a seat?" the priest suggested. Link wondered when he got so close to them and how he got the petulant princess to listen to him. _Oh_, Link thought upon seeing that the priest had nudged her to sit, yet her expression reminded Link of felines touching water. Directed toward her, the priest whispered, "I reckon you don't say anything you don't mean in a place of worship."

As though a war proclamation, Princess Zelda declared, "I will end you."

Smiling, Father Lloyd met eyes with a not-so-surprised Link. "Y'know she doesn't mean that, right?"

"I think she does."

"I know I do."

"Hahaha, y'all better quit pulling my leg—"

"Zelda, don't get the guy to piss himself."

"Hey, I'm not—"

"Oh, that would more than make my day, so first off, I would—"

"Hey, hey, hey, the Goddesses are not okay with—"

"If you respect the Goddesses so much, why don't you join—"

"_What in Hyrule is going on here?_"

Finally, the Light Sage, Rauru, was awake and no doubt because of the trio before them. At first, the princess and the priest refused to let the other speak first. Link thought that was a good idea since that meant he should explain.

"I don't know what's going on, but I have an appointment for a Crown Prince Coronation rehearsal?"

Rauru looked back to Father Lloyd and Princess Zelda. Since Zelda was already sitting, the priest took a seat beside her and the princess did not spill blood. _Good steps_, Link thought, as he was lead to the altar front. The Light Sage was apologizing for keeping Link in wait, however he made it up by quickly beginning the rehearsal.

The first process was basically saying yes to everything, and since Link had already mastered that, he was distracted easily. The Triforce pedestal in front of him was a shiny, reflective surface enough that Link could glance into it for Zelda's reaction. So she was in Temple of Time to give her support to her husband's Crown Prince Coronation Rehearsal. It would had been better if her support wasn't directing serial-killer eyes at her only neighbor.

And then she looked down into her lap, her eyebrows knitting together, before she stood abruptly. Of course, the priest asked her what was exactly on Link's mind, before she spat an explanation, slid past him, and left without saying anything to Link.

"Rauru, please," interjected Link as he was already heading for the priest. "Let's take a five-minute break."

The Light Sage appeared to be fine with just that as Link already sat next to the priest there was no arguments from him. Father Lloyd waved at Link just as the prince whispered, "Hey, Father, um..."

"I got you, Your Highness." He winked with his arms crossed. On its own, Link's hand shook the priest's arm excitedly. "She said... uhhh... I dunno, dude. Something about a puppy?"

"Puppy?" That sounded familiar, as in another word. "You mean, Poppy?"

"Yeah, Poppy! Haha, never thought Zelda as a tiny dog person anyway."

Nodding his head, Link pried him to continue, "What about Poppy?"

A few moments passed before the priest answered, "I think she said she had to meet Poppy and her mom? Oh, hold on a second," he muttered and brushed his hair back in thought, "ain't Poppy the daughter of the Gerudo tribes-leader lady?"

"Yes, Poppy is her daughter. Her daughter..." Now, the icky feeling that sounded so insane before was settling in Link's gut. "Do you remember the Gerudo tribes-leader's name?"

"I think, _I think,_" Father Lloyd mumbled, " I think her name was Lady Ganonda."

**.**

**. .**

**. . .**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**next chapter previews: link becomes real prince much wow **

**i don't say this enough, thank u for taking the time to review this shitty story :)  
**

**Lady Araa: **getting along is becoming more of a thing. ty for adding me to ur fave authors :D ❤

**Koolkat222: **sweet ❤

**Arison Nakura**: that's the goal ❤

**Chameleon Eyes: **link's not that easy to assassinate &amp; zelda being a closet fan is key for their bonding tbh ❤

**Skydragon74193:** maybe yea maybe no ❤

**whitworth5274:** king of hyrule is pretty dope amirite ❤

**DrivingLikeJehu:** hello hello! whose jehu and can they drive? ❤

**Sonochu: **wow... okay, light bulb moment! i never noticed whenever link screwed up, zelda or someone else came to save his ass. they're still going to do that, but at lesser instances... maybe? ❤

**me:** i got u the first time dude, but since it's bothering u so much, it's okay to change from Harkinian to Nohansen ❤

**Guest:** man u got questions i got answers. "How many years older than Daltus is Zelda?" prince daltus is 7 years younger than princess zelda so he's currently 11 ❤

**~ loveandzelink **


	12. to talk about this with you?

**12 **

**. . .**

**. . **

**.**

"There are Seven Sages that will be serving as the representatives for the main ethnic groups of Hyrule." The chalk leaving white words upon the board, Link continued to write as he recited aloud, "Most of them are already some of type of leader for each domain, but some are not, such as Lady Aria of the Faron Forest Haven."

When he looked over his shoulder, Link spotted a tan arm in the air.

Ever since Princess Zelda's ditched private school for private lessons, Poppy was the newest member to Link's groupie and the only member to raise her hand. The others paid not a rupee of attention to the prince-to-be-for-real as they thought their phones or magazines or Out-N-Set was much more diverting. It made sense to Link now how annoying it was to his instructors when his "students" were distracted. Ignoring the others as they had he, Link used his chalk to point to Poppy. "Yeah?"

"I am aware the Faron Forest inhabitants are the Koroks." Just a flicker of incertitude passed by Link's face, before he affirmed Poppy was right. "And it sounds the most similar to the Kokiri. Is not the Kokiri the name of your family's homes?"

The excitement practically radiating, Link turned on his heel so quickly that the girls were watching him. "The Kokiri part of Kind Kokiri Homes came from the real place, actually! Since that place was supposedly full of happy parentless children, that's the image we wanted to send out..." As his sentence trailed off, Link rubbed the nape of his neck and laughed, "But, yeah, we wanted potential parents to come and see the kids. Just make them happy children, but with parents."

Her face tilted downward. "I see."

"Okay, yeah, I gotta question!" Both her arms were waving back and forth when Link pointed to Proxi. "You said there are Seven Sages, but you only listed six?"

Unsure, Link immediately swiveled back to the blackboard and scoffed. "What? I did?" His eyes narrowed and scrutinized the names, counting down as they did, before Link realized Proxi was right. "Huh. There are six... That's not right." Scratching behind his ear, Link mumbled, "I got this information from Ezlo so I assumed there was gonna be Seven Sages..."

Then Navi raised her hand while talking, "Didn't you ever notice there were six since you were studying so much for this?"

His hand raised down to the nape of his neck as he mumbled again, "No."

Saving his mortified self, Ciela also decided on a question. Like Proxi, she waited until Link directed his attention to her, before she asked, "What were you saying about Lady Aria of Kokiri Woods?"

"Oh right," gasped Link, turning back to the board with his chalk poised. "The actual leader of the Faron area is this really old Deku Tree. Lady Aria is just the sort of spokeswoman or it, but they just call her the Sage of the Forest because the tree speaks for the forest and she speaks for... it?" His forehead furrowing, he added on, "The Koroks are a cool but they keep a lot of stuff low key, especially about the Sage of Forest selection. It makes you wonder what that's about..."

Always the talker, Navi flipped a page in her magazine as she piped up, "You, wondering about something other than sword fighting or food?" That wasn't true (by a lot). He knew that and scoffed pointedly toward Navi. Giggling next to Proxi, her sister picked up a fry and pointed it at Link. "Did you at least study the others?"

"I did!" Proving people wrong was something Link wasn't the best at, but he did give his best to. The nearest free chair was pulled up to Tatl's desk as Link stole some of her fries and listed off effortlessly, "Along with the Faron Lady Aria, the Seven—Six Sages are Ancient Archsage Rauru, Big Brother Darunia, Crown Princess Ruto, Elder Lady Impa, and Tribes-leader Lady..." There was an unnecessary pause when Link tried not to look at Poppy. "Lady Ganonda."

Although she was aware of this, the Gerudo girl spoke up, "My Mistress Mother?"

"Yeah," muttered Link with a mouthful of fries. Out-N-Set was life, after all. "She had to leave my rehearsal so she could see you and your mom?"

Poppy's memory differed from Link's, so she remembered easily. "That is correct." This was news to the girls who quieted down to hear her state, "The Hyrulean Queen and Princess had to meet with many delegates that day, however they had to personally escort my Mistress Mother for her appearance. She is chosen as the leader of the Gerudo and as the Sage of Spirit."

"Right." Link was aware that there were six sages to gain their favor. But something was awfully shady, as though a shadow was lurking behind, somehow, somewhere. His head cocked, he twirled a fry between his fingers, before asking, "I haven't met your mom before. Or any of the sages, except Impa and Rauru. Uhhh... What's she like?"

"My Mistress Mother..." Poppy murmured, folding her hands onto her desk. "I would say she is understanding. To me, I will admit. But the desert is harsh and unforgivable, therefore my Mistress Mother rules with an iron fist. Many minuscule matters can become mountains of problems, you must know." It made sense to Link, but he still couldn't help rubbing his temple. "Do not be afraid. She is fair in her ways because she cares for the Gerudo and she only desires what is best for them."

Link nodded. "I got ya."

"_Oooohh myyyyyy ggooooooodddss._" Aside from Link, everyone looked over to Tatl. She'd finally said something and even moved around, kicking the desk in front of her. Glowered eyes to the ceiling, she groaned, "I wanna go daaaaaaannnccceeee."

The screech of his chair upon the floor almost gave the girls a jump. His reaction less dramatic, Link stood and said, "Correction." With his fingers pressed against his temple, the only guy in the room sighed. "You wanna go grind against cute boys."

"True!" blurted Ciela, who then was high-fived by both Navi and Proxi.

To add onto her, Tatl suddenly stood up and slammed her hands against her desk. "Sue me, alright?!" The girls tried not to titter at her melodramatic flair as Tatl imitated him with a long sigh, hers almost wistful. "There's nothing wrong with wanting a little intimacy."

"Intimacy? _Intimacy?_" Link huffed, guffawing and appalled.

Then she was face-up in his space. Link hadn't flinched as she wound an arm around his neck and whispered, "Look man, you're married, you can't possibly understand how I feel." This caused another laugh to emit from Link. "You're light years ahead of me and the girls. We don't even have boyfriends yet and there is a very good chance we could get some if—," Her sentence went on as she showed Link a picture of one of those wall advertisements, "—if and only if you go with us to Fairy Fountains dance night."

Wow. This chick went right to it. Sometimes, Link appreciated her straightforward self, but now? "I dunno, Tatl, I'm pretty busy... you know..." He shrugged. "Being a prince and all."

"Exactly!" Her arm still around him, she brought his head down and closer to the girls. "All the best dancers are gonna be there! And some of the, ahem, female persuasion wants to meet with you?" If Tatl was insinuating what Link thought she was insinuating, his steely glare was answer enough. "Dammit Link, you're a prince, I bet it fills their fangirl dreams to breathe the same air as one in the flesh. You tell me, if they try anything on you," Tatl assured him, giving him a sly smirk as the others sort of joined in, "if they try, I'll just get a little familiar with their boyfriends or their crushes or anyone tbh. See? The girls think so too."

Watching their animated actions, Link thought they really were up to it. "What does your mother say?"

"You know what my momma says! I can't go unless you go! She don't trust that I can't hurt a perv from where it hurts _most_."

More to themselves, the girls were murmuring in agreement with Tatl. Link thought about it. There has been fewer opportunities to hang out with the girls ever since Crown Prince Education started. But then after his coronation, his schedule should open up a little more, especially canceling mroe of the late-night study dates by himself. During that time, it would be fun to just go let loose with the girls.

"I guess." The mission was a success as Tatl high-fived the girls, all at once, aside from Poppy who had been inquisitively staring at them. This was all new to her, Link realized. "I'll go if Poppy goes."

"Dancing?" the Gerudo girl clarified.

At once, Proxi and Ciela were sidling next to her, speaking over each other overly excited. Navi was even giving her a small demonstration of what went down and Poppy had to look down, smiling wide-eyed to her lap. To the side, Link was watching as Tatl leaned against her and whispered something in her ear. The tiniest flustered, Poppy further distanced her gaze along with a susceptible nod of her head.

Tatl pumped her fist. "That's it! We're going club—dancing! I'm gonna get me a _man_!"

"Turn up!" the girls chorused.

"Turn up," Link joined in, raising his fountain drink, and rolled his eyes.

**.**

"Do you know who that is?"

Following the direction of her finger, Link looked over the balcony to see a male Rito nodding smilingly with the other Ritos around him. Because of the touch of youth still shining in the foreigner's eyes, the prince-to-be identified him with ease, "Kwahu, the heir to the Dragon Roost Ritos?" Beside him, the Crown Princess did not look at him as she nodded. "He's not actually of Rito royalty, but the son of a low-level Rito councilman. The Rito chose him as the prince-to-be because the real prince, Komali, flew off with a common harpist."

"Don't forgot, that's where you came from as well. Though I am impressed." She poked her husband's temple. "Memorized studiously in there?"

As she returned her hand to her side, Link couldn't help beaming. Against the carved walls, Princess Zelda had dressed up quite a bit for his big event, all dazzled up in a traditional old-old-old-style dress; even with the real-as-life rose gold ornaments holding up a sort of crystal-shaped rug down the skirt. The picture on the rug seemed kinda cool, even though Link only recognized the Triforce. He liked that the princess chose to go au natural once again and her still blonde-to-brown hair was pinned in a soft curly updo, which bared her neck, and she had a damn fine neck like Link had never seen, like some kind of amazing neck creature, what's a nice—

"I suppose your memory is not as terrible as we thought." Blinking, Link almost forgot he was in a conversation and chose to respond with a low laugh. Zelda thought he wasn't as nervous as she thought he was. "You have no reason to worry."

"About what?"

The Royal Couple shouted together, "Poppy!"

The Gerudo girl's attire was fashioned traditionally of the Gerudo. They were known for their sort of bandeau tops and harem pants. A shoulder shawl pretty much concealed her back and upper body, along with a sheer veil onto her traditional ponytail. It was surprising because, honestly, Link had never seen her outside her school or that volleyball uniform.

Yet what surprised Link the most was the man beside her.

Next to Poppy, he was a contrast as his entire body was more or less shielded with a sand-colored cloak. Pretty handy, as the collar closed over his nose and a hood shadowed his eyes. Look, it had arm openings so that his elbow was visible—_simply scandalous_, Link thought—and tucked in there was Poppy's hand.

"Who're you?" blurted Link.

He raised red eyes to him. When Link met with his resting asshole face, he pretty much glanced down out of instinct as his wife tilted her head, murmuring, "Oh, isn't that—"

In a flash, the mystery man skimmed his fingertips across Zelda's knuckles. Her question stopped, stilled, and dropped. On the other hand, Link still had no clue who he was. Until Poppy was kind enough to fill in for him, "Link, this is my everything."

_Whoa_, he thought, not realizing he said that aloud.

A hand to her lips, Poppy laughed. "I intend to say the assignments he completes are most of my everything." Still confused, Link thought his furrowed forehead was enough for her to elaborate. "It is a busy job. He organizes my duties around Gerudo Desert, he assists me for the duties, he can be the messenger from my Mistress Mother, he does the domestic, and he even acquires the plantains if I wish for them in the early mornings." Her hand waving, Poppy said, "He does just about the everything to make my life very much easier. For the most, he is my defender."

"Like an all-around bodyguard?"

Smiling, she repeated, "Like the all-around bodyguard."

"Awesome." His head cocked, Link lowered his hand. "Hey man, I'm Link. What's yours?" Silent, Poppy's guard did not shake his hand as both of his were tucked out of sight. Still, Link kept talking. "That's a pretty good set-up you got here. Who hooked you up?"

There was a good pause, before Poppy's guard tilted down to whisper into her ear—which, to Link, sounded a lot like _mmphhh mmhhnnppphhh uhmphhh_—and promptly took his own leave. All the while, the Gerudo girl kept her eyes on Link then to Zelda, her smile strained. Slightly confused, he wondered if this was a life-or-death sort of secret, before Poppy responded, "The person who had done the 'hooked him up' is the human seller."

Her eyes on Link, they did not blink, and neither did Link's.

Moments passed before Zelda whispered to her husband, "She means a slave trader."

Shock contorted his countenance as Link enunciated carefully, "Say... that again?"

The Gerudo girl fumbled to explain, "There are an abundance of merchants that stop in Gerudo Desert. They sell all sorts of exotic merchandise. On occasion, they will sell the humans." His bafflement unchanged, Link turned to his wife and, with one look, he knew that this was a story she'd already heard. "My Mistress Mother made me come with her without my knowledge. I admit it was a sight that should not been seen, especially when I was only eight of years, however..."

To say that Link was not aware of these matters was an understatement. Moments passed, before he crossed his arms tightly and asked with all honesty, "How could you even... _decide_..."

Her head tilted, Poppy thought about it before chuckling to herself. "In actually, it was quite easy." Trying to be surreptitious, Link glanced at his wife. She didn't want to see his shell-shocked expression. Oblivious to their interactions, Poppy answered, "Because my Mistress Mother informed me to select someone of strength, I decided on him because he was the only one not in tears."

Self-control was gone. Hushed, Poppy and Zelda watched as Link walked off, taking several frustrated paces back and forth across the hallway, and then returned to them, his hands twisted in his hair. Somehow, his shock had melted down to disbelief. There was only a slight of sympathy in her gaze when Zelda touched her husband's shoulder and when she decided to input what she knew, "In reality, this might be the best route for him." Hearing this, the Gerudo girl beamed toward the Hyrulean princess. Smiling back, Zelda illuminated, "He most likely came from a nomadic Sheikah tribe."

_That explains those red eyes, _Link thought and scratched his neck. "But wait!" he realized aloud, his hand frozen. "Aren't the Sheikah supposed to be protecting the Royal Family, like Impa?"

"She is my adviser and my protection, but Impa and her ancestors are one of the few who have refused to leave the Hyrulean Royal Family." A pause followed, before Zelda added on, "I hope you read in Hyrulean History that during King Gustaf IV's rule, he signed a proclamation that the Sheikah were free to whomever they wished, whether it be another family or themselves. Therefore, Impa's ancestry is the only remaining Sheikah to stay with the Royal Family, as far as I know."

Hyrulean History wasn't Link's best subject, but he wasn't about to admit that. His voice lowering, he mumbled to her, "Sucks he isn't one of them."

The princess shrugged, and turned to Poppy. "Oh, there are other factors that makes it much more 'suck' than you think."

It was obvious of Link's discomfort, yet Poppy stated, "Zelda informed me that the higher probability is his Sheikah tribe was massacred." Her words grew faint when from across, Link dropped down to his knees and slapped his cheeks. When he stood straight and stoic, she resumed, "Barbarians murder the men and women, and kidnap children. Then they sell to the human—_slave traders_, I will correct myself, and they sell directly to consumers. Of the norm, if the children do not sell to people like as my Mistress Mother, they're sold to the Snowpeak mines, the Lost Woods construction, the underground brothels—"

"Stop," commanded Link, his voice husky with pity. "Please stop.

Driven into silence, the princesses didn't say much as Link was having an emotion overload. With one look, they shared the same thoughts and wondered if they were that much desensitized. They didn't know for sure but compared to Link—who was contorting his face in an effort not to cry—, they thought they should have a little compassion.

"_My bro!_" cried Link, who suddenly reached over and clasped the guard's shoulders. He hadn't even made it by Poppy's side when the prince-to-be shoved him backward. For some reason, he allowed Link to toss promises at him, "I swear, oh my goddesses, I swear, when, _when_ I'm elected prince I promisepromisepromise to—"

All of a sudden, Link's hands were lifted and placed carefully to his side. There it was again with just one look, and immediately after, Poppy fit her hand into her guard's elbow and, with the other, she waved at Link. "My apologies. We must be taking our leave. I will see you during your coronation, yes?" In another moment, she was embracing Zelda hurriedly, before she ran off with her guard closely beside her.

"Well," the princess breathed and leaned against the balcony railing. "That was a sight."

His voice rising to his usual tone, Link mumbled, "Always fun to see her."

Her smile was mocking. "I, for once, agree."

"Yep, whoever that was."

At once, the princess swiveled toward the newcomer and adopted a rigid stance. The way her entire body stressed in an instant reminded Link of a feral cat. It even sounded as though she was hissing, "You're not supposed to be here," she retorted with an apparent air of disgust. "Rauru can handle the religious practices for the prince's coronation. We don't need you here. _Why are you here?_"

Laughing, Father Lloyd threw an arm around Link's shoulder. "I was about to say His Highness here asked for my presence."

There was a moment of confusion, before Link remembered that he had invited the priest after the coronation rehearsal. "Oh yeah." With a low laugh, he confirmed sheepishly, "I did."

"Oh," the princess was surprisingly calm. _This was bad news_, Link thought. "I did not think scum like you could even be allowed outside of those glorified cage that you call sanctuaries, but." Her shoulders lifted in a very unladylike shrug, and Link felt that the priest's arm tense. "I can only hope that they had barricaded the nearest elementary schools."

_What?_ Link thought as Father Lloyd leaned on him_,_ laughing. His head bumped against Link's shoulder who was currently thinking, _The hell? I__ don't get it? _"Low blow, princess, just below the belt," the priest chuckled. There was nothing funny to the princess. She had intended to go for a "low blow," but what she would give for blood. "Y'know I was being civil during y'all wedding, but that's how you wanna play?"

Impassive, Princess Zelda crossed her arms and declared, "I want you to leave without any children stowed away in your clothing."

His glance meeting the priest's, Link wondered why he had a weird feeling about this. "Oh, I don't think children will be the problem," Father Lloyd hummed, before moving his arm around Link. In a moment too soon to notice, Link was pressed up against the priest; his arm lifting Link's lower back and the other gripping his hand. Bewilderment wringed Link's facial features as the priest kept his stare on the princess. "What if I took your prince?"

Looking back, Link would think Zelda would object to at once, but he did not think that her fist would mask her mouth, and not her flushed cheeks. She even dared to look away when Link raised an eyebrow at her, and he swore that his wife had mumbled his name. Along with some other intelligible words. Something about a button? A bottom?

"My bad, dude," the priest whispered, releasing Link quickly enough. The prince-to-be didn't mind that much, just taken a bit, _a lot_, aback. "But I won."

Hearing that, he princess was pressing the palm of her hands against her hot cheeks as she said, "No, you did _no_ such—just—just stay out of my sight." With that, the princess lowered her fists into her skirts and stalked off, but not before saying to Link, "Don't let him boss you around like that!"

This didn't make sense to Link either. "What's she talking about?"

"It's her dirty, dirty secret." Father Lloyd shrugged. "I caught her reading gay fanfiction."

Silent laughter—which was the best kind of laughter—took hold of Link as he threw his head back, guffawing inaudibly for a substantial amount of time. As the last laughs were leaving him, Link snickered, "Oh my gods, Zelda, Zelda, _Zel_, goddesses damn, girl."

"During temple service."

"Bro."

"It was the good stuff too."

"_What the_—"

"She was getting the tears and sniffles, y'know? That tragic stuff is dangerous work, even for an ice princess like your wife." Link mouthed a small 'oh' as, with one hand in his cassock, the priest gave a thumbs-up toward the throne room. "I better get on with everyone else. A word of advice?"

Knowing it was probably to pray again, Link allowed it.

His hand served as a screen between the two, the priest whispered to Link, "Look her in the eyes."

After he left, Link suddenly thought,_ I always look her in the eyes. _

**.**

The maids gave one last sweep through Link's outfit. It wasn't all that special—as Link had a bit of power to request that—but he was required to wear a hand-stitched royal blue-ish-purple-ish tunic (what was it with Hyruleans and their tunics?) and keep his hair clean and nothing atop. Link was thankful that he got to wear baggy leggings instead of those breathable tights and dress shoes were surprisingly more comfortable than boots.

His attire didn't matter that much anyway when it was his actions that were to prove his princely character. Or at least Ezlo had told him.

Suddenly the double doors open and it felt like the wedding all over again. Except he was sort of the bride this time as entered the Main Hyrulean Castle's throne room and, somewhere in that crowd, was Zelda. It wasn't the best choice to look for her when Link recalled that he had to look to the front of the room where sat His Royal Majesty, King Daltus, and his wife, Queen Zelda, who were going to watch his coronation from above.

It was a little nerve-wracking, until Link noticed Daltus' sincere smile. It kinda felt like the king was rooting for him just by being there. Whatever it was, there was a sense of calm nothingness for Link when he finally made his way before six cloaked figures.

Unable to help himself, he wondered where Zelda was.

The first stood directly in front of Link and pushed off his cloak, allowing it to fall. The Sage of Light appeared to have a full night of rest as he folded his hands together, before bowing to Link. Customs said that Link did the same. Afterward, Rauru spoke to fill the room, by his voice alone, "Today, His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince undertakes to rule according to Hyrulean law, to maintain the Will of the Golden Goddesses, and to exercise dominion with Power, Wisdom, and Courage—ideal characters symbolized and united all by the Triforce." Rauru waited until the prince bowed down to one knee and both his hands pressed to the carpeted floor. "I, Rauru the Sage of Light, am one of several who determines whether you declare of truth to protect all of Hyrule and allow she to prosper."

"Do you solemnly swear to speak of truth and what is only truth?"

_Like it's possible to lie?_ Link thought as he said, "I solemnly swear so to do."

"Your Highness, are you willing to maintain and preserve the glory and the grace of the Temple of Time?"

That place was of a sanctuary to one of the heroes past, Link remembered studying about that. Sounds good to him. "I am willing."

"Your Highness, are you willing to place thy trust and truth to the Golden Goddesses as thy fate carries out in the mercy of their hands?"

_Basically, do I think they're real?_ "I am willing."

"Your Highness, are you willing to govern and to protect the Hyrulean Peoples of Castle City, the Temple of Time, the Faron Forest Haven, the Death Mountain alongside Goron City, the Sheikah Lost of Kakariko Town, the Zora's Domain, and the Gerudo Valley?"

"I am willing," Link declared, even though he heard of very little.

Moments passed before Rauru nodded his head, huffing to himself, which sounded like yawns to Link. "I have no reason to believe they are lies." With that, Link stood and did not move as Rauru placed a scarlet sash around Link and then pinned a sort of expensive plate onto the sash. It was sudden to Link that he remembered that that was a Light Medallion, something to say _Okay_. Just to Link, the Light Sage whispered, "All the best, prince of courage."

Leaving him puzzled, Rauru picked up his cloak, walked away from the other figures, and took a seat on the first pew. Immediately in his place was Lady Aria who was much younger than Link expected. Probably because she reminded Link of a certain green-haired girl from the orphanage.

They bowed together just as Link did to Rauru. Her green eyes soft, yet sparkling, she requested of him in her lilting voice, "Your Highness, I speak for the Great Deku Tree residing deep within the forest, are you willing to preserve and protect the little ones of the Forest Haven?"

"I think you're supposed to say Koroks," Link whispered.

Delicate fingers fanned over her mouth. "Oh my. I apologize I..."

"It's alright, um, my lady." A small smile curving on his, Link declared, "I am willing."

The sages were supposed to judge Link of his character to rule along the other Hyruleans and Lady Aria figured it all out within three minutes. No longer was time on further questions as she pinned her Forest Medallion onto Link's sash. Sounding a lot like a mom, she said to Link, "Your Highness will do the best for Hyrule."

After her, Big Brother Darunia bowed quite quickly to Link and he was minimal with his words (and in a rumbling voice that Link honestly couldn't decipher so, honestly, he had no idea what he was willing to do for the Gorons) and yet he stared at Link for a solid five minutes. Link thought it was a test of strength so he stared back at Darunia without a single movement in his face. If he thought he was feeling awkward, the audience must be thinking it was much much stranger. They watched as Link finally gave up and laughed a little, which so happened to be the exact reaction the Goron leader wanted.

His arms were like iron bars as he embraced Link tightly and around and around, declaring, "This is the brother for the job!"

As Darunia fastened the Fire Medallion onto Link, the prince squinted to peer behind him and was glad to see King Daltus laughing inaudibly behind his large hand. Beside him, the Queen tapped her husband's arm. He stopped, but he was still smiling with the amusement lingering.

There came a lovely surprise to Link when the next sage revealed herself.

_Look her in the eyes. _

Link listened. It was hard not to when days ago, Link was the only witness to Princess Ruto making out with a temple priest. All Link wanted to do was look for the same dude, for an explanation. He hoped she didn't notice that he recognized because Zoras were known for their myriad of appearances. The Zora princess was fashionably or naturally hairless as she was now, and Link clearly remembered her with striking red strands. She couldn't know that he knew. Except those eyes had the same dangerous intensity and Link was told to stare right into them.

They bowed.

It was obvious that Ruto had definitely remembered him. "Your Highness, are you willing to aid in my intentions to protect and to prosper the natural beauty of the Zora's Domain as their equally beautiful inhabitants?"

"I am willing."

"Your Highness, are you willing to work tirelessly for the preservation of Lake Hylia, of which is connected and of great importance to Zora's Domain?"

"I am willing."

"Your Highness, are you willing to admit that I am a gracious and the most exquisite specimen that shall be your wife?"

"I am—" Before that declaration could finish, Link lowered his voice to whisper, "I am a husband to a significant other. Your Highness knows that, right?"

An impish smirk played across her lips. "I find no reason that this man cannot be Crown Prince of Hyrule in power." Then directed just to Link, Princess Ruto whispered, "And I'll find there will be no rumor about me and a certain other man?"

Gulping, Link nodded as the Zora gave him the Water Medallion.

Now that four medallions were attached to his collectible sash, Link found it literally and metaphorically heavier that he had all these people's trust, some of which he met for the first time. And then there was Lady Impa who usually went by all regulations and procedures, but after she bowed to Link, she simply gave Link her Shadow Medallion.

Link couldn't believe it.

The crowd heard her say to him, "I have watched you from the moment you agreed to become Zelda's husband and thereupon the Crown Prince of Hyrule. The change you encountered from becoming a prince was a change that could have affected others much more negatively. However I have seen the opposite." Her stony stare lowered to the medallion in Link's hands. "You will become great, Link. There will be times to prove your worth. I trust that you continue to grow in the ways that the Sheikah would approve of."

Honestly, Link would had hugged Impa right then and there because that was possibly the sweetest thing she could say to him. In reality, he simply nodded and bowed again to her as the last sage took her place.

When Link stood straight, he looked into the daunting expression of Lady Ganonda.

The way she had that natural leader air about her was something different than King Daltus. As his presence called for attention, there was also a calming effect when the king intended for a lighthearted atmosphere. On the other hand, the attention to Lady Ganonda was forced as though looking away would call for a punishment. Link did recall that Poppy said her mother was a ruler with an iron fist and he did not doubt that now.

In her hands, the Gerudo leader tapped the Spirit Medallion.

"I do not wish to know if you are willing," she stated and Link could tell the audience was somehow frightened. The Gerudo were notorious for their more wilder ways, however Link didn't believe that of Poppy. "There is only one question for you, prince of courage." What was it with that name again? In Ganonda's voice, it sounded more condescending than the way Rauru stated. "What does Your Highness think of the Gerudo?"

Link thought that this question was inappropriate for the coronation, however the coronation didn't go exactly as he was instructed to go through. This was probably the last of it and Link simply had to say something that would satisfy Lady Ganonda.

"I..."

But what should he say?

"I think..."

It would be easiest to say that the Gerudo were pretty nice people that should be able to work well with the Hyruleans, yet he didn't honestly think of that with Lady Ganonda so far. Based on his education, Hyrulean history wouldn't agree with him either and then again it was supposed to be just his opinion. There was only an icky gut feeling stopping him. Even though that was just a feeling, Link knew his answer was to be the truth and only the truth.

"I think—I know I can't answer that." The audience rose in whispers, thinking that he chose the easy way out. Link knew better. "Honestly, this whole thing is a little odd to me. Because the sages are to determine if I'm able to work with them to protect Hyrule, only by this first meeting? I could actually be a terrible person—just not now and I don't think I am—I-I don't know."

Lady Ganonda was stoic, waiting for him.

"I don't mean it that way actually. I'm sure you're all great judges of character and that's why you're all here to determine me, but..." Reverting back to his causal self, Link raised an arm and rubbed his neck. "I can't say that's the same with me for your people. If it's possible, I would like to meet and see the Gerudo for myself, really get to know them, I mean, before I can form my own opinion." A slow breath leaving him, Link concluded, "That's what I think."

Obligatory silence. Awkward silence. Then a silence to ponder what he'd said.

The medallion in Lady Ganonda's hand lifted and Link inhaled just a bit. Then it released as she lowered it to her side, inside a pocket of her harem trousers. The worst came to Link's mind, before the Sage of Spirit stated, "You're correct. I do not believe myself as I am not a judge of character and I can only wait for you, prince of courage, to prove yourself before you are equal to the Gerudo."

_So... do I fail? _Link thought. _I _really_ didn't think this through. _

"He has my support," Lady Ganonda said the opposite as Link thought, but she was walking away from him with the medallion safely on her. "For now."

This was it.

Link was approved by six sages and he supposed it was an exception to have only five medallions. Looking up at the King and Queen, he wondered if he really was an exception. However it did not appear to be up to them.

The seventh and final sage came into sight from behind the royalty's thrones. Their cloak was an inky black which flowed around her like the dead of a night. Link would had been nervous if he hadn't recognized the forever familiar face. His own was brightened by a megawatt grin when he bowed to her and held out his hand.

Bowing as well, Princess Zelda took her hand in his as she murmured, "I am Crown Princess Zelda of Hyrule and the leader of the Seven Sages." The liquid voice of his wife poured over him like the times he was forced in fountain baths, almost giving him a calming effect. "As the six have made their assents based on their impressions, I have known you for the duration of our marriage. For what they know in minutes, I believe are rightfully so when I have known for some time now."

Designated servants positioned behind her as Zelda began to decorate Link of this princely honor. The heaviest cape imaginable in the deepest vermilion velvet upon his shoulders, a long sword with a jeweled hilt in one hand, and a very real looking golden Triforce in the other. Link guessed these were all supposed to symbolize something as everything else was, however some other was explaining those as Zelda placed the items upon him.

It was the princess' right—as the leader of the Seven Sages—to then dub her husband just as she lowered a crown fit for a prince, "Crown Prince Link Nohansen-Forria of Hyrule, you are now a ruler not only in name but in power and in position for the Hyrulean sovereign."

Applause had never sounded so loud, so befitting, so over.

**.**

Because he really wanted to, Link kept the cape. It was a bit ridiculous considering the blanket-like clothing was something Link would had refused in the start. But now, it was a reminder that he passed the damn wedding and now he passed the damn coronation, which was much more riskier than the former. Thank the goddesses that should be the last of it, before the next bridge.

Link really didn't want to think about that right now. His cape was pretty dope if he didn't say so himself.

"I did hear you already," his wife, the lovely and fatigued Zelda, groaned. They were seated together, both patiently waiting for the castle help to organize their leave to their palace. Currently, the couple were in a quiet parlor after speaking to several foreign diplomats that came to watch his coronation. It was a pretty tiring day. "It's the biggest cape in Hyrule, I've placed it upon you, I know."

A phone was in her hand and, his cheek in his hand, Link wondered if she was reading what he thought it was. "Thanks, Zel."

Her eyebrows knitted together, a sign she did not understand and or was irritated. "What for?"

"You were already really against the marriage, you know?" Zelda did know. Rolling her eyes, her stare was directed back to her mobile. "I didn't think you would, but it wouldn't be surprising if you were to rant to the crowd that the marriage is a sham and so was my coronation. I shouldn't be a prince, much less married to you, yadda yadda yadda..."

A scoff emitted from her, a very insulted one. "Are you insane? Like I would piss off His and Her Royal Majesty more than I already had." Under her breath, she muttered, "She's already up to her breaking point with me."

"But you could have," Link said.

She paused. "I would had."

One of those genuine smiles lined her lips and Link couldn't help himself. After this whole day, it was a good ending to have her crown him, which Link couldn't had thought of a better conclusion himself. Nothing could compare to her anyway, with her pretty smile, pretty eyes, pretty amazing neck, and that glorious mouth that was moving and then it suddenly didn't.

"... Link?" Zelda repeated. "Hey, uhm, Link, you're—"

Why was he getting so close to her? Why was his hand laid flush against her neck? Her neck is so cold since her hair's pinned in an up-do and his hand is so warm, but her neck is where one could feel her pulse, hot and not supposed to be cold. Was he feeling her pulse? Her pulse wasn't in the back of her head, though, was it? The princess didn't think it was and thanked the goddesses it was, or else he could had felt her heartbeat racing much too fast for her liking.

"Zelda... Zel, I..."

The doors burst open, breaking apart Link and Zelda. The princess would had even jumped away from him if the incomer hadn't done that for her.

"Zelda, Zelda, Zeellllddaaaaaaa!" he whined, his arms tight around her. It was a rare moment that Link saw her smile so suddenly and so genuinely. And then Link realized they had been in a moment of their own. "It's because of Mother that I missed again!"

Tousling his black hair, the princess laughed. "It's alright, Daltus." Both her arms twined around his head, and Link struggled to see into Daltus's face. There wasn't much use anyway as the princess hugged him tighter to herself. "To tell the truth, you haven't missed much. Only that he is officially Crown Prince of Hyrule."

Then it appeared to Link. The younger brother to Princess Zelda tilted his head away from her, and Link thought his words did not match his face. Prince Daltus was somber-faced, his icy blue eyes similar to Zelda in that they did not betray any emotion.

This most definitely must run in the family.

"I am Prince Royal Daltus Larkspur Nohansen the XI of Hyrule." The child-sized prince swept into a bow much too formal for his age. The adult-sized-just-turned Crown Prince blinked at him, incredulous. "I am aware that you are dubbed Crown Prince Link Nohansen-Forria of Hyrule just this morning, however you are still ahead of me for the crown."

"Whoa, dude," Link huffed low in his throat, and his hands raised up in his defense. "I did not marry Zelda to be a king."

Condescension radiated from Daltus' stare as he narrowed his eyes at Link, tilted his head, and asked his sister, "Is that the honest truth?"

Not even listening to Link's gasps, the princess lazily rolled her wrist. "It is."

"Zelda!" Impa called from behind the doors. "Zelda, can you come here for a moment?"

Ruffling her brother's hair, the princess sighed and said to Link, "You don't mind if Daltus joins us for dinner?"

_Oh man, oh gods, oh no_, Link thought, but he shrugged and said, "Sure."

"See you tonight, Dal," she then addresses her brother, kissing his head, before she took her leave.

_Man_, Link thought, _How could I let this kid interrupt us? I mean, yeah he hasn't seen Zelda in like months now, and it's probably better on Zelda's state of mind if she can have her fifteen seconds with this kid__—prince, but our relationship is the worst and __I was about _this_ close to—_

"Pardon you," Daltus spoke up, tugging at Link's sleeve. "You were not listening to me and neither to the incessant racket of your phone."

His phone really was ringing. Well, that would save an awkward and painful conversation with his technical brother-in-law. Who was that to thank for? After checking the Caller ID, Link thought it was appropriate to thank her now.

"Thanks Aryll!" Link answered. For some reason, her voice was really faint (which was unusual as Link thought of her as a loud talker), not as though she was whispering, but more like his phone was broken. Link didn't think Daltus would mind since the prince kid was wandering around the parlor, amusing himself. "Hey, Aryll, is it okay with you if I put you on speaker?"

It didn't really matter if she was okay with it, because Link put her on speaker anyway.

"—on live TV? Grandma says—" There! Loud and clear, which brought a smile to Link's face and a halt to Daltus' movements, "—the royal whatever would stream your stupid coronation live, but is there like a certain channel for that or like what's the plan here?"

"I don't think cameras or anything were allowed this time," replied Link, scratching his temple. "But if someone promised Grandma she could see it, then they must have sent you an online link or something, I don't think it was on a channel?"

"Oh, really? I didn't get a link, or let me check with Grandma, hey, Grandma!—"

All of a sudden, the phone in Link's fingers disappeared and was within Daltus' grasp while he was pleading nonsense into the speaker, "It's you! I know it's you! Gully, my Gully, oh my gods, please, please, Gully, it's me, Gully, it's me—"

"_What the hey_—"

"Hey! Little dude!" Finally, Link plucked his phone from Daltus. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Let me talk to her!"

There was something dim-witted the way Link blinked slowly, or as Daltus thought. The little prince scrambling to reach for the phone high in Link's fist, the taller snorted. "Talk to my sister? What for? Why?"

"Okay, okay, I cannot speak of it now, but look, see, I have calmed, and I know it's a tad crazed of me to talk to her, but at least show me her! Just a picture! It's her! _I know it's her!_"

Having none of his nonsense, Link just ended the call and kept a good grasp on his phone. "What do you mean it's her?"

"I know, I know, _I just know_ she is—you have to—just—for gods' sake, _please_!"

"Geeze, geeze, hold your horses! I'll let you, but you give me a moment, alright!?"

Although his drive did not dwindle, Daltus held his horses by taking several steps away from Link. After quick brushes down his sleeve, the elder opened his phone again. He navigated to his photos where there were several pictures of Aryll. The most recent was from the Forria family's vacation to Outset Island last summer. They took the children with them and it was the most fun they had in ages. That much was apparent in the pictures as in the photo, Aryll holding a Fado twin and one of the Know-It-All brothers in her lap. Link would have picked that picture if she wasn't wearing a bikini, and goddesses knew Link would rather drown himself in those tropical waters than to show a nine-year-old boy (yes, a royal nine-year-old authority official in-the-making, but a nine-year-old nonetheless) a picture of his only sister in a bikini.

"Nope," mumbled Link, swiping through. Fortunate for him, the next photo was of his younger sister sleeping on the front porch. She had laid out a seagull towel and was watching the children play on the sand in front, before she fell asleep. It was a sweet picture, if the picture before that wasn't of her marker-scribbled face, due to her brother. Smirking, Link debated showing her defaced appearance, before playing nice.

Leaning down, Link handed the photo of his sleeping sister to the younger prince of Hyrule.

The reaction was instantaneous. The phone in his hand lifted to his forehead as the prince bowed his head, murmuring to himself. Link was confused. Prince kid had now squatted to the floor with Link's phone grasped tightly with white fingers. Still, to Link's bewilderment, it sounded like Prince Daltus was crying, like real legit tears.

_How in the world did Aryll make this kid cry?_ Link thought.

"Hey... Are you...?"

"It's her," Daltus spoke softly, and handed the phone back to Link. As Link scrutinized the photo to the best of his ability, his brother-in-law wiped at his tears—happy tears?—and laughed lowly from his throat. "I've done it. I've finally done it. My goddesses, I've finally found her."

His forehead furrowed, Link shifted his puzzled gaze to Daltus. "Who is 'her'?"

"Gully," Prince Daltus murmured, his hand slowly pointing to the photo of Aryll. Link's only little sister—Aryll. "The one I will be marrying."

**.**

**. . **

**. . . **

**[tbc]**

* * *

**a/n: **before you can say "dangnabbit grANDPA," i will say for sure that _i will not _be updating in november. b/c of that, i will do my best to update twice, maybe trice, in december, but idk for sure. also i will be changing my penname "loveandzelink" to something else so a heads-up if you see a different name writing Prince Hourglass no worries that me. what else what else ummmm WELL if you got questions, i got answers (not spoilers tho) most of the time.

**next chapter previews: **how it feels to go from the top to the bottom, by zelda (a summary: it sucks and yet it doesn't)

o yea Kwahu belongs to Eternal Nocturne :)))))))))))

**yoooooooo thanks for reviewing all y'all:**

**ael fraygh: **glad u liked that ^^ this just my interpretation but link gets more extraordinaire blessing b/c he needs it ❤

**whitworth5274:** last chapter was a rehearsal but now he's a prince ❤

**KHLostEmpress**: zelink is happening i promise ❤

**LadyAraa**: hi hello :) yea the king is pretty likable &amp; zelink is coming on i think ❤

**Chameleon Eyes**: ur sword fighters r gonna literally _slay_ in the tournament (i have the gameplay all thought out it's pretty sick) so watch out ❤

**Stylin80**: it's all good thanks for reading :) ❤

**Guest (same guest):** oh man... u need an account pls... i can't tell u how hard i laughed reading ur review especially the "oh my god." the name for zelda is actually that the hyruleans always name their first princess "zelda," but for daltus, i refuse to change his name for reasons. hope u liked his official appearance he's a cutie ❤

**Bon:** u got it ❤

**Skydragon74193:** yep, Link is getting the Master Sword and Chameleon Eyes generously created Percy for the team so idk ❤

**Guest: **questions r good good! tbh i also find THAT super weird but in Minish Cap, Link's grandfather &amp; Zelda's dad were old friends so i stuck with it. i will say that King Daltus is 14 years older than his wife, Queen Zelda (also super weird lol) ❤

**anonymous**: u also got it ❤

**~ loveandzelink**


	13. all you've done

**13**

**. . .**

**. .**

**.**

"Wha… What?"

Calm, Daltus wiped his tears for the last time, before he cleared his throat. "This is not by the hands of your grandfather and my father, if you were thinking exactly that." Honestly, Link was so taken aback that he was only thinking of Aryll—his lovely, loud, little sister—, and how she would go through what he went through. Probably in a smaller spotlight, but similar torture nonetheless. "This is my decision—no, my promise to her—that I have made and kept for several years now. I suspected that I'd have to wait decades for her, but, good goddesses, it's only taken _seven years_—"

"Seven years," repeated Link.

"I have to see her. _I have to see her_." Prince Daltus slowly came to a stand, his eyes somewhat dazzled as though from his own lighted intensity. "I cannot wait another second, I have to see her, Gully, I-I've never laid an eye on her ever since—"

Suddenly, his exclamation stopped mid-fever and Daltus was quiet.

This was all the stranger to Link. "Since what?"

His reply was instant. "Since Gully disappeared, you dunce! Of course, what else can it be?" His back toward the elder prince, Daltus folded his arms together and brushed past Link for the exit. "In any case, it is none of your concern."

Suspicions were arising, which Link was having none of. His hand clamping upon Daltus' shoulder, he spoke in a hard tone, saved for his sword fighting members, "If it has to do with my little sister, then it has to do everything with me." The young prince shrugged off his grip, but made no further movement to leave. "What'd you mean she disappeared? Aryll was in Hyrule the whole time. You could've easily found her if you're the so-called royal prince of Hyrule."

With gritted teeth, Daltus brought his fingertips against his forehead. "She came by the castle when I was younger, and we would perform whatever it is that children do—ah, what was it called—that thing, that, that's right… '_play.'_" When Daltus had to actually think about it, Link thought it was stupid since Daltus was still a child himself." But then she suddenly ceased her visitations. I did not find her." The exasperated expression upon Daltus appeared to be carved from stone. He was too rigid, even as he confided, "As much as I wanted to, I could not."

"Why not?" Link argued.

"Because—" He hesitated with hand in his hair. Then the young prince lowered his arm and his voice so that Link strained to see him and hear, "You must swear upon your piteous life that you will not tell her."

"Tell who?"

Daltus blew the longest sigh Link had ever heard for a kid. "Because my sister requested me not to."

_Zelda?_ Link thought. "Why would she tell you that?"

"For goddesses' sake!" snapped the small prince. "If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't be as foolish as I am to _betray_ her!" Big prince was stunned. "Since she had not a justification, I am free to pursue after Gully now that I have chanced upon her." Then the younger rose onto his toes, attempting to close in to the elder as much as possible, but it hadn't the same effect. "Listen to me well, Link Forria, see to it now that you will not breathe any word of this to my sister, or else it will be my word against your own."

The kid got guts and reason, which was a powerful combination Link wished he had. "Chill, little dude." It was apparent that Daltus was not fond of the nickname. "I get it. Zelda can't know that you told me that she told you that you can't look for my sister like some seven years ago and she can't know the conversation we had now."

Daltus did not need a moment to register what Link had said. "That's correct."

Why was the first thing he gotta hide from his wife involving his brother-in-law? Shaking his head, Link pressed his index to his temple and decided to take a chance, asking, "So, apparently, my sister disappeared seven years ago?" If the younger prince could, he would have brought up some very choice words to groan toward Link, but instead he chose to sit onto the parlor sofa, his arms tight across his chest. "Well, before she disappeared, how did she… I guess… _appear_ before you in the first place?"

The muscles in his arms relaxed as he said, "I do not know the circumstances that led to the first encounter between Gully and me. I am only aware that it happened. I've met her before. I know her. I know her better than I know myself." His voice was surprisingly soft as Daltus divulged, "There are very few whom I would choose to know, by my own will anyway."

_Sounds like Zelda_, Link thought. "You mentioned something about… 'pursuing' my sister?"

Stern, the prince nodded once. "It is my intention to marry Gully." As Link rubbed his temple, Daltus' head bobbed again. "You will lend me your aid."

"_Pffffftttt_," snickered Link and covered his mouth. Daltus' eyebrows knitted together out of intense irritation, which Link thought again, ran in the family. "What makes you think that I'll do that, little dude?"

_He has nothing that I want or need anyway, _Link thought with a pleasant smirk, _I'm a prince now and technically a higher one than him and what king of big brother am I to hook up my sister with this pint-sized brat—_

After a slight cough into his fist, the aforementioned pint-sized brat made casual brushes down his sleeve while stating, "I have heard from Elder Ezlo that you have a particular struggle with Ancient Hylian and, as a royal member of the Hyrulean family, I have long mastered the linguistics of that language at a younger age than I am now. I am willing to tutor you myself—"

"Little dude, you drive a hard bargain," interjected Link, pretending to think about it. "But I accept your deal." His left hand stuck out, waiting for Daltus. Perhaps, the little prince was not a big fan of handshakes as there was no response, so Link hid his hand behind him and said, "But there's one thing that'll stop you big-time, and I can't do anything about it."

This sounded like a challenge to Daltus. "I suppose you'll humor me?"

His arms crossed, Link shrugged. "When Aryll says no, I'm respecting her."

At first, the prince cocked his head to side, chuckling even. "That will not be a problem." For a little dude, Daltus' smirk held a confidence fit for mature corporate businessmen, or someone that high of power. _Well, duh_, Link thought, _he had been trained to rule Hyrule even if he wasn't born to be crown prince_. "As I have told you before, I know her. It will take hardly any effort to make her fall for me as we were closely acquainted before."

His arms crossed, Link shook his head. "That was seven years ago."

He thought it was maybe universal when the prince shrugged. "She could not have undergone that drastic of a change?"

"Little dude, you'll be surprised."

It appeared the prince was ignoring his warning, which was expectant of a child. What Link didn't expect was that Prince Daltus finally brought up, "Do not address me by the state of my stature." Furrowing his forehead, the elder tried to figure out why it was a problem now. And why was little dude even making demands, like, no requests necessary? "I'd rather that you address me by the given name bestowed by my His and Her Royal Majesty."

Honestly, it bothered Link how this kid and his sister wouldn't—or more so, _couldn't_—just talk about their parents as though they were their—well. Rumination was an unbefitting expression upon Link, or so Daltus thought. "So you wanna, like, be called Daltus or something?"

"Heavens, no," responded the prince, apparently disgusted. Somehow, Link thought he was supposed to be offended. "You are to address me as Lark."

_I guess some people want to be called by their middle names_, Link thought, rubbing his temple, but he asked anyway, "Okay, but why?"

Again, the sort of mature-monarch smirk crossed Daltus' expression. "I only allow those closest to me as worthy enough to speak my forename." As though it was obvious, he crossed his arms and appeared to look down at Link, even though they both knew that wasn't happening. "You are not one of those people. I doubt you ever will be."

It was good timing for Link when Zelda's brother was called for just as she was, and when he left with the smallest of acknowledgements, Link pressed both hands to his temple and thought in horror, _Did I just sell my sister to one of Demise's most obnoxious minion? _

**.**

"It begins."

Being the first at everything was a thing for the Hyrulean princess, especially now that she has to show the public—her people—that she was undaunted by the simple luxuries that they'd lived with the entirety of their lives.

But it was a first for Princess Zelda, now that she must live with Link's family for a week.

Ignoring her husband's gasp, she stepped out first from their shared, but still that shiny, sleek, automobile, with her heel swiveling upon the dirt driveway outside his family's orphanage. The gates had already been shut for the reporters' unwelcoming mob, and Link was grateful for that. It would had been better if the gates weren't formed in long iron bars, but the orphanage wasn't a golden pot of rupees that can instantly fix that.

_Until the deal_, Link thought and rubbed his temple.

"Are you to sit there forever?"

Times was-a wasting so Link rolled out with his always annoyed wife. He thought she would head toward the front door by herself, but it appeared she was waiting for his lead. Link was totally okay with that as he took his time helping the suited posse with the luggage. It wasn't that bad to be honest, as Zelda had told him that one suitcase is for professional cases and the other her lazy let's-fit-in-with-the-poor attire. She was joking for the latter, but Link thought her humor needed some work.

As Link lugged both his and his wife's stuff, he asked her, "What's that?"

In her arms, she held one thing which was an extravagant food basket, and was that—

"Gold beef…?" breathed Link.

"Yes, gold beef." Her eyebrows knitted together, Zelda elbowed her husband. "You do know that you dine on this quite often at the palace."

"Yeah, but I've never had it with my family before! It's for them, right? This all your idea?" He guessed correct for both, which then brought a toothy grin to Link's already bright expression. "Aw man, that's real sweet! Thanks!"

Before she could begin her snarky response, the front door burst open and flowed out several, screaming children who immediately collided into Link. Of course, he went sprawling across the front porch with the children screaming their greetings right near his ears. It appeared it made no difference to the orphans now that Link was the Crown Prince of Hyrule. Shaking her head, the princess thanked the goddesses none of them rammed into her, but one person stepped toward her.

Making use of her manners, Zelda immediately bowed her head and greeted, "Good morning, Mrs. Forria. I am in your debt for allowing Link and me to reside in your home for the time being. Please let me repay your generosity." When Leilana Forria only parted her lips to emit a quiet breath, Princess Zelda thought it appropriate to add on, "How are you?"

The elderly lady's response was to gather the princess in a snug hug. Zelda has never met her grandmothers before, but she thought they smelled something nice like Link's, like sea salt and warm soup. While she realized of her hunger just then, Leilana spoke into Zelda's shoulder, "I'm delighted now that I finally met you, my dear. I just wish we could've done this so much sooner!" Pulling back, she smiled with squinty eyes and dusted off the skirt of Zelda's impeccable humble-yet-her-highness dress. "Call me Grandma."

For an elderly lady, Leilana had the strength to pull Zelda into the house as Link was still being bombarded by overexcited orphans hugging as much as him as possible. It wasn't Zelda's problem, as far as she was concerned, and she was quite content as Link's grandmother dragged her over to living area, presenting, "I know this isn't as grand as the castle, but I do hope Kind Kokiri Homes feels like home to you. Would you like to set that down? It's beautiful, thank you, dear."

"Oh, yes, please." Just as Zelda was to hand her the gift basket, Link's grandmother called over one of the older children. Her head bobbing with her green bob, she held out her arms for the basket. There was a familiarity that Zelda could not explain as she handed it over, then suddenly remembering her manners, "Thank you."

The little girl only nodded again, before disappearing to the kitchen. Patting her cheek, Leilana whispered to Zelda, "Saria is a lovely girl. She's just been a little down after we found adoptive parents for Mido."

"WHAT." Behind them, Link was dragging five kids clamped to his legs as he yelled again, "Grandma, did I just hear you right? What do you mean you _found_ adoptive parents for _Mido_?"

"Oh, Link sweetie, quiet down." His grandmother made her way over to him, kissing and then patting his cheek. "That's not a right example to show the children." From below, they heard that and only erupted in peals of laughter. "He's out with his potential parents right now, but they're still in the process of adopting him. He'll be under their care in a few months from now."

Frowning, Link wound one arm around his grandmother as he mumbled, "How did that happen? We usually don't have people looking into Kind Kokiri Homes…"

The answer was apparent when Leilana lifted her head, tucking a silver strand and staring straight at him. His mouth opened just the slightest as Zelda walked around the modest, yet oddly comforting, living area. "I see the hourglass agreement has brought yet another good to your family."

_Well, yeah_, Link thought and rubbed his neck, _but..._ There was no but. An orphanage serves to care for parentless children until they do find potential parents and that was all there was to an orphanage. Sure, Link did think of the orphans as the other little brothers and sisters he could never have, but he couldn't be their legal sibling, neither their legal parent nor guardian.

Well, actually, now that he was married—

Not even glancing into her husband's bright eyes, Zelda asked Leilana, "How is Kind Kokiri Homes?"

"Wonderful! Exceptionally wonderful! Link, we hired Ilia again, and she recommended a few of her lovely friends, oh, I told them to take a few days off because you're around, and we have more children to support, they're shy, but awfully sweet, and we had to renovate the office into another room, but I was using your room for the paperwork, oh dear—"

Trying to register everything his grandmother said, Link blinked. "What is it, Grandma?"

"Your room!" Leilana turned to Zelda then, grasping her hands suddenly. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I wanted to prepare a room for you, but it appears Kind Kokiri Homes is a smidgen too small. We're to move after Mido's adoption and there's a lovely building with a great backyard for the children…" Her sentence trailed off, when she realized she was drabbling. "Zelda, honey, I know it's too early to be sharing a room with my grandson, so I'll be happy to give you my—"

"Noooooo friggin' way in hell, _nononononooooooo_, Grandma, no!" Taken by surprise, Zelda watched as Link kneeled to Leilana's level, taking her by the shoulders. "You need your room! I'm not letting just anyone touch it!" Feeling just the slightest insulted, the princess crossed her arms when Link told her, "Take my room. I'll… I'll, uh, camp it out with Aryll."

"Like hell you are, big brother!" an outraged teenager shouted from somewhere. "I literally live in a closet!"

"And hey to you too, Aryll," intoned Link, grinding one hand against his ear. "Alright, so that options out… and it's never an option to camp it out in the kids' rooms so-so-so I guess, I'll… I'll just sleep here. The couch is pretty great, right?"

"Dear," his grandmother sighed, patting his cheek. "Sleeping on the sofa is not good for your back."

Link just laughed it off. "C'mon, Grandma, I'm healthy, I'll be fine."

Surprisingly, Zelda voiced her own idea. "No, you will not be. Just 'camp it out' with me in your room." Shock passed over his expression, before it was replaced with concern. Without looking at him, she mumbled, "We're married after all."

It felt like it was up to Leilana who smiled sheepishly at Link. Maybe it was the opposite to her who asked her grandson, "Are you okay with this, sweetie?"

"Uhh… okay."

Just then, the suited posse passed through the front door with the royal couple's luggage, nodding to the children who were yelling intrusively at them. The three were almost huddled together, as though barricading against childish curiosity. "Where'd you like these, Your Highness?" inquired Rudrum as one child was pointing at the feather in his hair, inquiring quite loudly, "What's that?! Are you a bird? What bird?"

Her arms crossed, the princess released a slow sigh as her husband made his way over to his guards with what he thought as the greatest news in all of Hyrule.

**.**

Zelda simply did not understand the appeal.

All those screaming children were becoming in the way. They were inhibitors, distractions, and they were successful in driving Link away from the garden work. But then it wasn't that hard to catch his attention when Link wasn't the master of staying on task in the first place. Still, he was only a few hours into his home-stay vacation and—being the doting grandson that he was—Link instantly offered to do his grandmother's garden work. So if he wasn't going to, she might as well.

Although far too reluctantly, the Crown Princess of Hyrule moved down from her throne—which was the back porch swing, decorated with pillows the children made in their art classes and some really soft knitting by Link's grandmother's—,and made her way into the sunny outside where it wasn't as appealing as people make it out to be.

"Zelda!" her husband called, hosing down a lot of overactive orphans as she found the gardening gloves. "You, you're finally getting down and dirty with the—"

"Yes, dirty with the dirt, shut up."

"Okay."

After that, squeals of laughter erupted from behind the princess. Since that was the normality in Link's home, Zelda found it easy to focus. It appeared her husband was busy with weeding, and from what little she knew, she could probably use a helping hand. But because Zelda hates asking for help, she decided she would probably figure it out on her own.

It wouldn't be that hard.

Still, the princess peeked into the woven basket of weeds Link had plucked, and pretty much had the conclusion that whatever small green plant in the ground was a weed. There was actually a lot of small green plants, but after taking another quick glance, Zelda wrapped her hand around a weed-ish-looking plant. With minimal effort, she could pull it right out of the dirt and up to her eyes, only to realize that was a carrot. Furtively, while glancing left and right, Zelda planted that back into the ground and avoided that row, instead choosing a smaller green plant.

Potato.

Her lips parted in disbelief, Zelda also dug that back into the dirt. It was probably that Link already finished weeding this area that there were only the vegetables left. Shaking her head, Zelda decided to move a few rows over, and she yanked upon some weedier-looking plant.

Goddesses damned _radishes_.

It was all then decided to get up and just get away from the garden. That would had been embarrassing for Princess Zelda, but then she caught some tiny suckers along the edge. There were quite a few of them, which probably meant Link totally didn't see those. A gratified smirk across her lips, Zelda carefully tugged one from the dirt, finding that there was no stupid vegetable attached beneath. Her smirk growing into a grin, she then continued to pick a second, a third, a fourth—

"Those spinach aren't ripe yet."

Flinching, the princess pushed the basket from her lap and looked up at Link, wide-eyed. Saria was on his back, humming to herself, as he kneeled down to Zelda, using one hand to lift the spinach to his eyes. Zelda didn't notice how soaked he was, until he threw his hair back—knowing damn well that he was spraying stray drops of water onto her—, and cracked up to his heart's content.

"_What?!_"

"Nothing, nothing." He was still guffawing and Saria placed one small hand onto his mouth. Still, he spoke, "I just thought you might need some help with my job."

She hissed, "I don't need your help."

Link raised the poor spinach.

Defeated, she allowed her husband to direct her back to where he was first weeding. The children were always attracted to Link's presence, even loudly offering their own knowledge, although Zelda felt like their thoughts were being thrown at her.

"Okay, squirts, quiet down!" They did, although they were hopping in their place and keeping at least one hand on Link. Zelda just noticed that some of the apparently newer orphans were already sidling close to Link and that all of them were somewhat intimidated by her. Knowing that, she found it hard to pay attention when her husband asked the childish crowd, "Can you guys tell Zelda what this is?"

"Dandelion!" they all shouted.

There was a moment when Zelda had to stare at a real weed, before Link piped up, "You don't know what a dandelion is?"

"Shut up."

"Zelda! Think of the children!" whisper-shouted Link who attempted to cover their eyes. A smattering of giggles sounded after his mistake, and he just laughed it off with them, before plucking another green thing. "And this?"

The voices were decreasing, but they were still easy to hear. "Wild violet!"

Instead of disposing them into the basket, Link handed the dandelion and the violet to Zelda. Again, she stared at each of them as Link gave her more—lamb's quarter, pigweed, pokeweed, henbit—, and, after memorizing the plants at close observation, it did not take long for Zelda to immerse herself in weeding. It wasn't hard anymore when either Link or a brave handful of children were pointing out that she was getting the hang of it.

"Pigweed," she muttered, throwing that into the basket in her lap. "Lots and lots of pigweed. Oh, there's a violet." Completely engrossed, the princess didn't even notice as she felt a tap at her shoulder. Her husband was smiling, a small brightness in the incoming darkness. When did he ever leave?

"You've worked hard," laughed Link as he looked into her basket, nearly full. Then he handed her a tall glass of water, which she accepted immediately. "I didn't think you would get into it that fast and with that much stamina."

Sweat was trailing down her cheek and Zelda wiped it with her sleeve. She thanked her lucky goddess that she was wearing one of Link's shirts from the clothes he couldn't bring to the palace, since she was too lazy to unpack. With another pat to her cheek, she chugged down the full glass and, a hand across her mouth, she muttered, "Thank you."

Noticing her sweaty self, Link plucked both the empty glass and the weed basket from her and beamed. "You know what would feel real good right now?"

_What is he thinking?_ thought Zelda as she pulled the damp collar of her-his shirt up. "Do I want to know?"

Brighter, he continued to beam with all his teeth, "You don't have a choice."

The princess expected an attack, or just something to lower her defenses, but not like this. Not when three or four boys had popped up from behind Link and threw with all their might. Which wasn't much, but damn it to hell that their aim was on point.

A moment later, Zelda realized she was wetter than before. Something had fallen into her lap and, picking up that particular something, she realized it was the broken casing of something rubbery. _What in Hyrule is this?_ she thought as from behind, one girl had handed a blob-like balloon into her other hand, and another had yelled, "It's war!"

"What," she breathed to herself as two girls yanked her from the watery crossfire to come.

It appeared, after a secretive small talking-to Saria and the female Fado twin, Link had thought of a more interesting method to play with the water hose, which no longer needed the hose. As the girls spilled water balloons into the princess' lap, she squeezed the lumpy balloon in her hand and understood that it was something harmless, but was imagined as a weapon.

_Right_, Zelda thought and watched how the Fado twin would angle her arm to throw.

After confirming that the princess was good on her own, the two girls squealed onto the battlefield with their arms positioned, pulled back. Although there were two teams, there was no record of score-keeping, so Zelda supposed this was an informal sport. Just to try out the weight, she chucked the balloon skyward, and then stood from behind the slide, only to feel a wet collision upon her shoulder. The impact took her by surprise, so surprised that she did not catch the balloon she just threw. Twice out now, three not counting Link's ambush in the beginning.

Speaking of, her husband was across the backyard with his tongue poking mockingly at her. It would had infuriated her if not a female teammate had hurled a heavy blob at his chest.

Down he went, and Zelda seized her chance to race across the grass. Of course, she suffered consequences going out in the open and she froze as balloon after balloon splashed upon her arm, her calf, her hip. The boys stopped, their arms still mid-throw, when the princess blinked, somewhat taken by surprised. So were her rivals, Link's team of intimidated males who were beginning to regret their decisions. But then she threw her head back, long hair mostly like a waterfall behind her, and her rare laugh struck the children confused. She wasn't much of a laugher to them, but she began to understand that it really was in good fun as the girls shoved balloons in the princess' empty fingers and she was running again.

Link was right.

It really did feel somewhat refreshing to have this watery war of sorts, after a whole afternoon of toiling under the sun. There was an immediate difference, Link would know. The damp grass beneath her bare feet, the sun warm upon her wet workwear, the drenched embraces of her teammates whenever they knocked him down—most of this was how Link grew up, and he was somewhat glad for the fact that Zelda had the chance to experience it too.

"Link!" one orphan boy panted, pulling at his soaked sleeve. "The girls are closing in! They're gonna get you!"

Chuckling, Link spread his arms and the boy could see he was the most sodden soldier that they had. "It's alright," laughed Link, a hand ruffling the child's hair. "You go on with the rest and I'll hold the fort down."

"But Link—"

Already, he was being smacked down with water balloons and the boys decided Link had a point. Still, it was something about him that made it hard to leave, or just inspired loyalty in some way, that they stood their ground as the girls laughingly brought them down, the princess at their forefront. Glorious, she made her way beside the head of their fallen leader.

"What are you smiling about?" his wife scoffed, kneeling above him.

Was it dusk already? His fatigued form splayed on the grass, he tilted his head at the darkening sky and laughed. "I surrender."

She was not humored. "That's not a sensible reason. Still, I accept your defeat." Then with the last balloon in her hand, the princess crushed it against Link's already soaked chest, before standing and cheering to the girls, "Victory is ours!"

All at once, her girls skipped over to the princess with open arms. Not admitting that ever, Zelda was overcame with a sort of fuzzy feeling that they would hug her for the win. It was pretty much handed to her when she caught her husband daydreaming in her direction like ninety-percent of the time. Honestly, she didn't know what that was about, but it didn't matter, _her team won. _

"Children! Children! Come inside!" Squeezing her soaked shirt, Zelda looked back into the house where Leilana was waving at them with a soup ladle. "Dinner is ready!"

That got their attention. Immediately, their heads swiveled toward the house and then they were running. When she peeked into the open door, Zelda saw that they were cramping into the bathroom to wash up and she supposed they were to change as well. Looking back, she also saw that her husband had removed his shirt and was coming toward her.

As he was grinning extensively, she huffed. "What?"

He walked and she followed beside him. "Did you have fun?"

"Fun? How old do you suppose I am?" Link could've answered that sarcastically, but he was smart not to. "I suppose that was not a complete waste of my time."

"So it was fun?"

"I did _not_ make that conclusion."

"Big brother!" Finally, Link's only sister made her appearance just as the couple entered into the house. One hand on her hip, Aryll Forria poked her index finger onto his chest. "Did you take the kids out for a water balloon fight?"

Her finger was stabbing him, so Link swatted it away. "So what?"

"I can't believe you!" she snapped and glanced once at Zelda. The princess was quiet, not knowing what to say to her sister-in-law. Luckily for her, Aryll blew a long breath, her gaze wandering, and said to her, "Hey."

Zelda said, "Hey."

"You're dead to me, okay, big brother?" Aryll then somehow focused back to Link with a glare, and poked his chest again. "The first thing you do when you come back is cause more trouble, _of course!_"

Smiling sardonically, Link watched his younger sister call out orders to the children and leave him with Zelda, somehow impressed. She was smiling as well, although genuinely, and her elbow nudged his hip. "She's a nice girl."

"You should've met her before we got married," sighed Link as he led Zelda to their room. After she closed the door, her husband had the audacity to kick off his pants. It was out of modesty, Zelda reasoned to herself when her head shifted and stayed down, as Link was looking through his drawer. "Life was easy enough for her, but then after I got married to you, things changed."

Her head still lowered, Zelda inquired, "How so?"

Tightening on a mostly-clean sweatpants, Link said, "Let's just say that Aryll is an introvert. An extreme introvert. And when all these people that are interested in your brother's reputation come kissing ass to an extreme introvert, it's not pretty. You can look." He was in the middle of putting on a sweatshirt with their academy's name, and Zelda felt a sudden need to wear it. "She doesn't like the attention, and I know she loves me and all, but she would fake evidence that we were ever related if it meant her invisibility was back. Do you wanna shower?"

"I usually wash after dinner." Still, a towel and dry clothes were tossed into the princess' lap. "Of course, your family would be affected by this deal," she said, standing up with her shirt half-off as Link faced a corner, towel-drying his hair. He'd given her another pair of his clothes, which was a sweater and men shorts, which ended below her knee. As soon as she fitted into those, she started to rub her hair with the towel and explained to him, "When your family was to gain benefits from my dowry, there would be some unwritten difficulties as well. It is not all sunshine and roses when you deal with the Royal Family. Turn."

Doing so, Link chucked the half-wet towel into a laundry bin and reasoned, "Yeah, but the attention is supposed to be on me and not that much on my family, like, I'm supposed to be separated from them, aren't I?"

Her head high, Zelda hopped onto the carpet and chucked her towel into the bin. "Yet here you are."

"Here I am," mumbled Link.

Their conversation sinking in, they walked together into the dining room. It appeared that his grandmother had made use of Zelda's gift basket, especially the gold beef. The children especially were aware of the different dishes—gold beef soup with vegetables from the garden and rolls of butter bread from the best bakeries in Castle Town—that were a gift from Zelda. And then she understood why Aryll was so pissed at Link, when she was still helping the children into dry clothes. The princess gained some trust now, so it was alright to help Aryll out. After a while, the children were comfortably changed and already digging into dinner.

"Looks like we'll be having weeds for dinner," joked Link, passing the spinach salad to Zelda.

Under the table, she stabbed him with her fork and ignored his pained grunt. Almost immediately, a grin curved his mouth when a group of crazy kids asked him about the sword fighting nationals. It was fascinating to hear that it wasn't just her and him at the table. The children were all at once speaking to one another with soup dribbling down their chins. _It is good soup_, Zelda thought, as one of the know-it-all brothers was blabbing to her about the kickball game they had at school. Another child chirped, joining in that they had won because the ball had burst upon the rival's last player, and she modeled this scene by popping a cherry tomato, which in turn caused the princess to crack up.

Was this it?

Beside her, Link was watching again. The children were accustoming to her loosening up, which then lowered their guard. It was pretty good, he thought, that they were getting on her good side much faster than he did and he actually tried. This exchange seemed effortless as most of the children now were trying to get their own words to the princess, knowing that they were ignoring Link. He didn't mind, no, not when his wife was completely at ease with the children and so were they. Besides, he hadn't spoken to his darling little sister or his grandmother much, and they would love what happened with Zelda and the weeds.

"Hey, Grandma."

Both she and Zelda looked his way, but Link tried not to look at his wife. His smile wide, he only pointed a fork in her direction. "Grandma, Zelda's really good with the weeding."

"Oh!" A squinty smile lit up her face as she reached across the table to pat her hand. Zelda smiled back, although she was tense. "The garden looks absolutely wonderful, dear! I noticed that it looked spiffier than usual. Even my Link doesn't do a thorough work like you did!"

This gave a sense of pride to Zelda, who cocked an eyebrow toward her husband. Of course, he took it personally and tried not to pout as he said, "Well, she wasn't a natural like me, Grandma." Immediately, the princess glanced at the fork in her fingers, wondering if it was sharp enough to pierce Link's hand onto the table, but then she thought of the children and scowled. "When I came to her, she was pulling at the spinach like it was a real pest!"

Sweet little Leilana didn't press her grandson about that since Zelda was the picture-definition of '_if looks could_ _kill'_. Trying not to, the little ones tittered to the side and even Aryll coughed a cackle into her fist. When she looked back at her brother and his wife, it appeared a murder scene was to happen any moment, so she waved her hand in the air, calling out, "C'mon kiddos, wash up and into your pjs."

Just like routine, the children yelled their own thanks to Link's grandmother, before dumping their dishes into the sink. It appeared there was a system as the children and his grandmother cleaned the dining room and table. The dish washing was left to the Forria siblings who argued who-does-what for a moment, before Link noticed his wife directing the children to wash up.

"Hey," he called, snapping on rubber gloves, "You can shower now."

She glanced at the lot of dirty dishes Aryll was starting on. "Are you certain about that?"

Already rinsing a soapy plate, he shrugged and said, "You're the guest."

But it sounded to her that he was insisting, so it must be alright. After the most uncomfortable shower in her life, Zelda also uncomfortably changed into her sleeping attire, consisting of Link's wedding dress shirt and short shorts. Normally, there was her walk-in closet for that however Link's wasn't exactly ideal, so she had to settle with filling his piss-poor wardrobe for her plenitude of clothes and then change in his bedroom. And the idea was so foreign to her that he didn't even have his bathroom since the orphanage bathrooms were suited to cleaning more than one child. But the space felt like the maximum occupancy was four, not even half of the orphans here.

It occurred to her that Link _really_ needed the money for Kind Kokiri Homes.

Shaking her head, she quietly made her way into the living room. There, her husband was chilling on the sofa with his sleeping grandmother slumped against his arm and Aryll dozing in her grandmother's lap. Only Link was awake, but barely so, as his eyelids were becoming more visible than his eyes.

"Hey."

Careful not to make too much movement, Link twitched, then rolled his head toward his wife. "Hey." There wasn't a reaction that his wife was wearing his wedding dress shirt once again. Only that he rubbed his sleep-induced eyes, saying, "Was cleaning up alright?"

It wasn't. "It's alright," Zelda lied.

He yawned, covering that with a hand. "I'm glad."

Then his arm lowered and patted the free seat to his left. It took a moment before Zelda accepted, plopping next to him. Looking around, it appeared the children were also with them, splayed in the other couches and armchairs, a few on the floor. One child was curled up with Aryll and so Zelda borrowed the idea to nudge the children off the floor and into her lap. While Link was watching her, the princess arranged herself so that the three orphans could fit on either side of her. He noticed her struggle, before simply pulling one child into his lap.

Afterward, Zelda rested one hand in red hair as she whispered, "What are you watching?"

His eyes suddenly on the screen, Link blinked, before identifying, "Trap of Soul."

Zelda blinked—

_"You know Darlene from Trap of Soul?" Zelda simply blinked. It didn't matter as Link barreled on, "Her life is the life I want to live! I picked you as my wife just so I can live in riches and luxury and then I'll take half your money and marry someone who's richer than you!" Now, Link was completely red with rage as he turned to leave, but before he did, he yelled at Zelda, "So you better watch your back, my dearest!"_

—and whispered again, more so under her breath, "Is it that extraordinary of entertainment?"

He shrugged. "It's my grandma's favorite."

"Hmm, yet she's asleep?" Again, his shoulders lifted, lowered. Her fingers sifting through the child's hair, Zelda focused away from him. "Which one is Darlene?"

This time, Link shook his head and raised the remote. "You're not gonna see her anytime soon. Here, I'll wind back for you." Moments passed before the television screened back to the very first episode._ It really must be his grandmother's favorite if he could do that_, Zelda thought. "It's pretty much self-explanatory from here so don't expect me to spoil you."

"Fine." After flipping her half-dry hair back, Zelda leaned her head against Link's shoulder. She thought he would shrug her off, but he didn't. "Link, I just wish to say that while ago, when we had that argument about my dowry—"

"It's fine."

He sounded tired. Feeling exactly the same, Zelda uttered, "Fine."

They sat in silence, with the exception of the low volume coming from the television. Zelda was fine with the quiet, but not Link. "That dude—" he pointed out as a raven-haired man strolled across the screen, "—he's the main character, Jovani. The pregnant lady nagging him is his girlfriend, Darlene." Said character rolled her eyes at whatever Jovani had to say, before storming off towards what appeared to Zelda was a college campus. "Jovani used to go to the same university, but after he met Darlene, he dropped out to get a job and pay off her loans."

"Absolutely terrible." The princess knitted her eyebrows together. "That Darlene is worse than terrible… Why would Jovani give up his studies for her?"

There was a moment before Link answered quietly, "You don't know everything."

She huffed. "Care to amuse me?"

"It's not just for her, Zel." A small smile lit up in the darkness. "It's for them. I mean, it would be better for them both to have a college degree, but someone has to be the breadwinner for her and their baby. You know." The light bulb didn't appear to strike above her mind just yet. "For their family?"

Another huff escaped her. "How overrated."

_She says that,_ Link observed inwardly, _but she makes herself right at home with my family. _

The couple were both quiet after that. Link would had kept talking, but he couldn't resist going back to sleep. He thought he only slept for like five minutes, but when Zelda was shaking him awake, he saw that the first episode of Trap of Soul had ended. Appalled, Link knew an episode would take nearly an hour.

"What…?" Rubbing his eyes, Link yawned. "Where'ya?"

His wife was immediate to seethe, "Darlene is horrible! The absolute worst! Tell me, she's going to fare a ghastly death?" Link was immediate to widen his eyes, blinking incredulously at his wife. "Just—Just Jovani works so hard! That whole time, he was working and enduring and sacrificing and she just—ugh! It's _not_—it's never enough for her! As if things couldn't get any worse, the poe makes an entrance!"

This was funny. "The poe?"

Zelda attempted to calm herself by braiding one of the boy's hair as she spoke through her teeth, "It's a ghost-like being that is born from hatred. It came for him and asked him it can give him what he wants most for a small price. A price!" When the children were beginning to stir in their sleep, Zelda whispered to Link, "From what I know about poe folklore, they'll take your soul and divide it upon a hundred imp poes!"

"Really?" he chuckled, still rubbing at his eye. "That's not even the worst for him."

Her eyebrows knitted together, Zelda pressed, "Care to elaborate?"

"I mean," coughed Link. "Uhhh… you do remember what I said about being Darlene? The dowry fight?"

"_No_."

"You sure about that? You know, with the whole taking-the-money-running-off-with-a-richer-guy, I thought you said—"

"I know! I was trying to deny the fact that—" Wide-eyed, the princess lifted a free hand onto Link's shoulder. "Link, you don't suppose she was allowed to leave Jovani, after he traded his soul for riches and they have a child together and he really likes her for some ungodly…"

Her statement trailed off as Link gave her a sheepish shrug. He thought it was somewhat adorable to see her flush a furious pink, but that dropped quickly when that fury was real, when she mouthed, "_Bitch_."

He couldn't help it, he stifled a guffaw that would've filled the entire room. It wasn't every day that the princess let loose a b-bomb, but it probably wasn't her first. She glared at her husband, but he had the gall to ask, "Is this why you don't watch television?"

Surprisingly, the princess slumped in her seat, muttering, "I simply don't like it."

Noncommittally, her position straightened when Link reached for the remote. However, Aryll shot up straight from her sleep which woke up her grandmother. Then that started a chain of waking up the children who were startled by Aryll's sudden wake-up call, "Hey, big brother!"

His hand almost to the remote, he frowned. "What?"

Instead of answering that, she wildly shook her head, then began to coax the children off the living room furniture and off to bed. Sitting up as well, their grandmother also began to gently lead the others into their rooms. Since there was the few who slept upon Link and Zelda, it was a unanimous decision to move the children to their bedrooms.

Trying not to hint at her disappointment, Zelda carried one child as Link hefted the last two against his chest. Seeing that, his wife asked, "Aren't they heavy?"

He shook his head. Then he looked back at the television, before they walked toward the children's' rooms. "Grandma will probably be glad that you got in _Trap of Soul_." She scoffed, but she looked back as well. "She really got the rest of my family into it, especially—"

All of a sudden, Link paused in the hallway, his blank expression an oddity.

Strange didn't began to cover Link's abrupt distinctness. His wife rose onto her toes, trying to whisper loudly to him, "Who?"

It took a moment before Link walked again, muttering, "I dunno."

**.**

"No way."

Rubbing the back of his neck, he laughed sheepishly, "Well it's mine so…"

"Sleep on the floor."

He scoffed. "No way."

"I'm not sleeping in the same bed as you."

"Liar! You did it once!"

"That was my bed!" In disbelief herself, she laughed sharply. "And don't forget that you lied to me that night, you told me you were to leave!"

"No, no, no, you never actually _told_ me to leave!"

"I'm telling you now! Leave the bed!"

"You can't do that!" snorted Link. "That's my bed!"

Grasping at straws, Zelda retorted, "I'm your wife so this bed is part of my property as well! As your wife and your greater priority, I'm telling you to leave the bed!"

"What?! That was my bed _first_!"

"Yes, it _was_! Now it's mine as well!"

There was a moment when they breathlessly glared at each other. This staring contest would had lasted a lifetime so Link stripped off his pants, before plopping down onto his bed and swiping the covers over himself. Her lips parted in disbelief, Zelda crossed her arms and glared until she was certain she could smite him. But Link was pretty much used to her glaring. Still, he groaned into his pillow and offered, "Just get into bed, okay?!"

She didn't. Well, if one counted that she took a seat on its edge, before pulling her legs up to her chest. She stared. Honestly, she never really did get a good look of the mismatched mess that was Link's room. Half of it was cabinets from the old office, and the other was his stuff, which wasn't that much in the first place. He had an open wardrobe that was now mostly stuffed with her clothing, and a small table where she placed fresh flowers from the garden, and his window had a small alcove where she placed her newly-ordered WINWAR pillows and—

"_Oh my gods_," she whispered.

Immediately, her husband bolted up, his hair already harried. "_Wha_—What?!"

"Look."

"What am I looking at?"

"_Look_."

"Yeah, that's a lot of paperwork."

"Idiot, you're not looking in its entirety."

Blinking quickly, Link attempted to look at his room in its entirety, only to resort to looking at Zelda. It appeared her gaze was upon the window and, when he moved his stare there, he thought he got it, "You want me to sleep outside?"

Sighs were becoming more a normality than her roll of the eyes. "Just shut up."

"Geeze, couldn't hurt to say please," muttered Link as he moved out of bed, a pillow in his fist. "Fine, I'll sleep outside or on the floor or wherever to get far far away from you, wouldn't you like—" His ranting halted when he felt a hand on his shirt, although it felt more like a yank. "Uhhh…?"

Her fingers tightened in his shirt. "Stay. But I want the side against the wall."

_That's the bad side_, Link replied in his head, before shrugging. Returning to bed, he agreed, "You got yourself a deal, babe."

That earned him a pillow to the throat.

**.**

Later in the evening, more like the earliest of morning, Link heard his phone ringing from his nightstand. Since he was on the side closest to it, he fumbled the mobile onto his ear with a glance back to his wife. He thought she would be yelling at him to shut the thing off, but there she was, curled against his back, breathing evenly. Grumbling to himself, Link accepted the call, muttering into the speaker, "What?"

"She is still sound asleep, correct?"

_Little dude_, Link thought, but glanced back to check his wife again and groaned, "Yeah."

His reply was instant, "She continues to sleep like the dead, I see… Link Forria, go outside."

"What? No. You go inside."

"_Go_ outside."

"Little dude, you can't tell me what to do."

"_Go outside_."

"Goddesses dammit!" whisper-shouted Link as he carefully slipped out of bed. "You better have a good explanation for this!"

Throwing on a random pair of pants, Link gave another glance to Zelda. It appeared she didn't care about him when she was awake, and this still applied when she was asleep. Regardless, Link forwarded her and tucked the covers under her chin like the good husband he was. Or he felt more like he was the dad. _Whatever_, he though, a hand tousling his bedhead, before he hurried out of his room and onto the front porch. Idling on the driveway was a dark automobile and inside was Prince Daltus. He waved at Link, motioning toward the car.

As soon as Link closed the car door after him, he yelled, "_Why in Hyrule are we meeting at 2 in the morning?!_"

"She's in there, isn't she?"

Speechless, Link slowly blinked at the younger prince. "… Zelda?"

"Not my sister, you dunce!" His arms crossed, Daltus looked away from Link. "Yours."

"Aryll?"

"Yes, Gully."

"Why you keep calling her that? No one calls her that." The elder prince furrowed his forehead, correcting, "Her name is Aryll."

"To you, I suppose she is… Aryll." Just then, Link noticed that Daltus was staring hard at the orphanage. "To me, she'll always be Gully even if she…"

_What in the world is a Gully?_ Link finally thought as his brother-in-law frantically raked back his bangs. He really did have the disposition of someone much older, especially now. "She knows me, I know she does. She'll know, tonight. Can one feel fate right—" Slightly spooked, Link watched as Daltus gripped his dress shirt with a white fist, uttering, "It's right now, it has to be, I have to—"

Even though Link thought he only saw this in television dramas, this was some real life crap as Daltus pushed back his car door, just so he could escape toward the orphanage. Whoever was chaperoning Daltus believed in absolute monarchy, so it was Link's job to stop whatever crazy crap he was gonna do. Such as hoisting Prince Daltus Larkspur Nohansen the XI by the armpits, transferring him over to the darkest side of the orphanage wall, and easily restraining the young prince from embarrassing himself.

"Unhand me! Unhand me at once!"

This was shameful. The prince of Hyrule weighed about the same as seven-year-old Fado, and the female twin at that. "Little dude," sighed Link. "We need a plan. You can't just go out and tell my sister that she knows you, not when I'm pretty sure she doesn't."

"She does! I know she does! Unhand me, you peasant prince, and I will surely show—"

"No… I'm saying you can't meet her now."

"_Yes, I will!_ Unhand me!"

"Not on my watch, little dude, you'll never—"

"Big brother?"

The two princes swiveled so swiftly toward the source of the voice that the momentum pushed them to the ground. Daltus was the first to his feet, but there was a sense of hesitation as he took a step back. This was quality television-drama twists to Link who stood between prince Daltus and his supposed soon-to-be fiancée, Aryll Forria.

She had flicked on the light in her bedroom, opened up her window, and leaned upon the wooden windowsill, her eyes barely open. "Big brother? Hey… Who's that?"

"My goddesses," murmured Daltus, his figure frozen still and his eyes drinking in the sight of her. "She's more beautiful than I could ever dream of."

His forehead furrowed, Link tilted his head at his sister with her rumpled, seagull-printed pajamas (_Oh_, Link thought, _Gully!_) and her Forria-standard blond bedhead and her squinty sea-colored stare. His forehead unfurrowed, Link shrugged. "She's okay."

"Big brother," repeated Aryll for the third time, irritated. "Who's that behind you?"

That snapped Daltus from his reverie. A dim light upon him, the younger prince stood straight from beside Link, then swept into a formal bow. Link thought his sister was kinda impressed, or maybe not at all. Then Daltus proceeded to amuse her by laying one hand upon his chest and the other to take Aryll's hand. Her eyebrow raised, she listened to Daltus speaking with utmost formality, "I would introduce myself to you, but you already know who I am."

Just like her big brother, Aryll shrugged. "Not true, but okay."

She may be okay with this, but Link wasn't. "Hey, little dude, I told you your plan—"

Ignoring him, Daltus gazed profoundly into Aryll's unconcerned countenance as though she was the stars in his eyes. "Gully, I love you."

The first to react was Link who instantly swatted his own face out of secondhand embarrassment. Then was Aryll who slipped her hand away the young prince and yawned. She was confessed to a few times, but for obvious reasons, this one took the cake. "I'm sorry," she yawned again, making no attempt to cover her gaping mouth, "you said I know you?"

"Yes, and you're the only one who does," said Daltus.

"Hold on a second," laughed Aryll, although it sounded more like a cackle to her sibling. "Rewind. What did you call me, right before the whole I-love-you drama-bomb?"

A pause followed, before Daltus uttered, "Gully."

A snort-like cackle escaped the younger Forria and she leaned down, only to bring a hyoi pear in her palm. As she chewed on the first bite, she spoke with her mouth full, "Oh, you're right! I do know you!" A spark of excitement brightened in Daltus' eyes, but instantly dimmed as she added on, "You're the crazy kid who ambushed my call with big brother."

_That he is_, Link thought as Daltus formed fists with his small hands. "Gully, I—"

"No, no, no," interrupted Aryll, waving her bitten fruit at him, "don't call me that. Isn't that, like, part of a boat or something? Or was that the hully? Hahaha! I'd never let someone call me _that_."

Seven years was a drastic of a change, but that didn't resonant with the persistent prince. "I was the only one to ever call you Gully."

With sibling telepathy, Aryll gave Link a _can-you-believe-this?_ look, and Link felt a sort of shame for supporting the delusional prince. The elder took the younger prince by the shoulders, whispering. "C'mon, little dude, let's think of a _wayyyy_ better plan."

"Gully, listen to me," the prince spoke strictly to Aryll, who was now chewing with deliberate crunches. "This is not our first encounter. We met a long time ago, more than seven years ago. You were not fond of me at first, but in due time, you grew affection for me. Perhaps, not as vehement as I have for you, but you have affection for me because—you know me."

After swallowing down a rather big bite, Aryll bobbed her head. "Uh-huh."

Link was about to drag Daltus away, but he retorted, "I'll prove it to you." First, he cleared his throat quite dramatically before he started to emit sounds that weren't very prince-like. To be honest, Link thought he sounded like a cucco. No, Link knew for sure those sounds were like, "_Squawk, squawk, squawk_!" Biting back the guffaws in his throat, Link tried very hard not to bust his gut, just as his sister released her own laugh—a very particular high-pitched giggle that she had ditched years ago—, and she dropped her pear, exclaiming, "That's the stupidest seagull I've _ever_ heard, Dal Dal!"

Both the Forrias were still as silence, one more so than the other.

"I knew it." His fist to his blushing face, Daltus murmured, "Your mind may not remember, yet you do."

Blank-faced, Aryll was hasty to retort, "I don't know you."

But Daltus was shaking his head. "If tonight was the first we've met then I've never revealed my name to you. Yet you're the only one to call me by that appellation." Again, he bowed to her as he introduced himself, "I am Prince Royal Daltus Larkspur Nohansen the XI of Hyrule. But to you, I am still your Dal Dal."

Warning bells were ringing in Link's head when his sister bit back, "You're nobody to me."

Hurt, the prince reached to her. "Gully, please don't—"

Just as he was about to touch her hand, Aryll retreated her arm as though he was toxic and she snapped, "Don't _touch_ me!"

Dread filled Daltus' expression. "Gully…?"

Her fists white upon the window frame, Aryll told him in a brash, straightforward manner, "Listen up, Your Highness, I think you're mistaken. I don't know you. I never knew you. You got me mixed up with someone else."

"But-But all I want for you is to listen—"

"_Stop it!_" Both princes were silent, neither daring the other to breathe a word. More so for Daltus, who trembled upon realizing where this was going. "I don't have to hear about anymore. For Farore's sake…" Her eyes squeezed shut, Aryll said to him, "Look, Your Highness, I'm sorry but I'm not who you're looking for. And I don't wanna see you again, like, _ever_." With that, she yanked the glass down, wrenched the curtains, and left one last order, "Big brother, get inside!"

Moments passed before Link thought it was appropriate to glance down at Daltus. The only word he could describe him was deadbroken. _It's not every day that Aryll goes savage on a nine-year-old prince_, Link thought. Not knowing what else to do, Link patted Daltus' shoulder and muttered, "You can do better than her, little dude."

"I don't want better." His gaze unmoving from her window, the younger prince confessed, "I want Gully. I cannot fall for anyone else… How can I?" Laughing lowly, Daltus ran a hand through his hair and spoke to the ground, "It's as you have said. She has refused my feelings… She makes it quite clear that she does not prefer my company." Again, the prince laughed and Link thought this was the part where he takes the kid out for a drink. "Honestly, I am well aware that you attempted to keep me from confessing tonight and perhaps that would have proved to be much more effective."

What else could Link say? "…Sorry, little dude."

There was no denying it—Daltus was already shuffling away, but he paused once to respond to Link, "Don't be." It would had been kinda cool if the prince wasn't a kid, having blobs of tears in his eyes, before he makes a blind run back to the car.

After the prince was driven away from the orphanage, Link reluctantly returned to the orphanage like Aryll told him to. It appeared she was waiting for his return as she dropped onto her knees before the front door. Link would had been scolding Aryll for her savage attitude to the prince, however he thought his little sister was shaking before. She really was as she watched her fingers tremble upon the wooden flooring.

Her voice rarely soft, she called, "Link…"

"Aryll? What's wrong?" Holding his little sister by the shoulders, Link waited for her shaking to slacken. "Aryll, hey… you can tell me anything… I'll always be your big brother, I'll always help you out, always… alright, Aryll?"

A moment passed before she disclosed to him, "I-I, just, don't and can't and it makes no sense whatever, bu-but, Link, I don't know what's happening to me?" His big brother instincts kicking in, Link gently brought Aryll into a comforting embrace as she cried into his shoulder, "It's just like Prince Daltus said—I-I remember him."

**.**

**. . **

**. . .**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**a/n:** what up nerds? had some stuff in the way so it took me like two months to write this chapter but all's good :))) next chapter i started on it but hopefully i can get it out by next week &amp; im planning to release multiple chapters this december but in reality idk bruhhhh i'm so behind haha ha

i've gotten a repetitive question: **how old is aryll?**

in one chapter, idr exactly which one, but aryll is 13. last chapter, I wrote 9 for daltus but that was link's inner train of thought (he doesn't know daltus' age) but daltus is 11 so YEAH aryll is older. 13 – 11? do the math. oh yeah DO YOUR BEST if youre taking finals!

**next chapter previews****:** the home-ymoon goes on and more shit unravels

**much thanks to the review crew: **

**Skydragon74193:** if you see a typo pls tell me that goes for everyone ❤

**cookiebee:** kinda explained it? not really haha ❤

**Generala:** ahahhaha u thought that sad u got a storm comin' ❤

**tpzelink**: desperate for more are goals so ❤

**Lady Araa:** wait until all the chapter titles come out &amp; you'll see…. interesting fact, idk what's daltus &amp; aryll relations since their siblings are married to each other? ❤

**greenoak1:** yooo that's nice stuff ❤

**Chameleon Eyes:** does this zelink make up for no kiss scene ❤

**Guest: **funny im east coast ❤

**~ saraven**


	14. for me

**14**

**. . .**

**. . **

**.**

Link was silent, listening to the heavy sobs of his sister and caressing her back in comforting circles, before he was able to whisper, "You're kidding."

"Why would I do that?!" Aryll snapped.

Déjà vu struck Link as though he was in her place, remembering something he was never aware to have happened before. He didn't like this at all. "What…" A pregnant pause filled the end of his statement before he started again, "What did you remember, Aryll?"

"Not just stupid nicknames, Link!" she said into his shoulder, her voice elevating in pitch. "It's, like, real memories! Pictures in my head! A voice that sounds just like him and a place with so many old, old books, and it's like it smells too old!" Link allowed her a moment to mutter curses under her breath. "He said more than seven years ago, right, _right_, right then it matches up, I don't know, but it looks right—feels right and then that must mean he's…"

She wouldn't dare say it, so she didn't, only succumbing to silence. It appeared to Link that the best course of action was to help his sister back to bed. It took a while but his little sister eventually dried her tears, as if she would tell him it was because of him. After tucking Aryll in, he thought it was okay to leave her bedroom, however she did not allow him.

When he seated on the edge of her bed, she rolled onto her side, her forehead against his lower back. "I don't know why I'm seeing and hearing and feeling these things, but…" There was a low sniffle, before she mumbled, "Maybe they'll prove to some screwed-up images from my imagination. Like they're made up because I saw what Prince Daltus wanted me to see? Right? Isn't that exactly what happened, big brother?"

Honest, he told her, "I don't know about that."

Knots formed in her stomach. Really, she'd prefer that he told her a lie. "Big brother," Aryll mumbled, moving one hand onto his thigh. "Could you stay for a while?"

Link didn't say anything and he didn't need to, because it was answer enough that he intertwined his fingers with hers. Moments passed as he sat there in the dark, calm to her even breathing against his spine, and her hold on his hand never relaxing. There wasn't really anything in his head, not when he worried over Aryll as of now, and he would've slept sitting up in that moment if she hadn't broke the silence.

"Big brother." He responded with a drowsy groan. "Prince Daltus isn't real."

That woke him up a bit. His ears perked, Link rubbed them against his head. "Huh… Why?"

"Whatever images he's putting in my mind," she began, yawning and further curling her profile into his back, "they're too bizarre to be real. There's no such thing." Again, she yawned and brought a hand over her mouth, exhaling into the palm of her hand. With a glance, Link could tell his younger sister was falling into sleep, her eyes conspicuously closed. "He's there… There's towers of old books, I think it's-a-a library, right? It's special, like it's been built in the sky... I don't know why there's a library in the sky, but you can see a lot of birds from here and they're so close by, it's impossible, it's incredible…"

When Link closed his eyes for a moment, he swore he could see it too.

"Big brother." Her voice was so lost that his exhale released in a shuddering gasp. Honestly, Link was relieved that she could not see his bewildered expression when she had repeated, "Big brother, from up here, I can see you too."

His breath held in his throat. "What?"

"I can see you. I have my telescope with me. In the clouds… there's a-a tower in the window and the window's wide open and you're there, the princess is there." Suddenly, her hold on his hand tightened and Link looked down at her white fingers. "Big brother... she's not the princess. But she is. I'm too tired. I don't know."

_I do_, Link thought, and then it was clear to him that girl was Poppy. Yes, a girl, much younger than the Gerudo girl he knew now, much more expressive than she was now, and it was like he was gaining something he never knew was lost.

It felt like his heart was trying to beat out of his ribcage. "Go to sleep, Aryll."

"No. Like I wouldn't know," she mumbled, all dreamlike that he could swear she was already sleeping. "But he does."

If there was something Zelda had to hide from Daltus, hide from himself, Link knew this was the moment he would know. He asked, "Daltus does?"

"I think so." Shockingly, Aryll did not return that statement, however there must be something off with the way she was sniffling again. "Big brother, what'd you think you're doing?" _What was he doing? _"He figured it out," she murmured, her fingers finally relaxing in his. "You look so excited and I thought you found something amazing. Someone? He said that you were telling the princess, that, that—" Almost in defense, her lips pressed together as behind, her tongue pushed against her teeth, "—save?"

When Link looked down at her, Aryll slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at him. "Big brother, are you—"

"—_real?" Amber eyes blinked up at him. "Sometimes, I think I made you up so I don't feel lonely." _

_Her words were a vice on his heart. _

"_I'm real."_

_Amber eyes did not believe him. _

"_I'll—" His grandfather's voice resonated in his head—to only make promises he intended to keep, and right then and there, Link knew this was _the_ promise he intended to keep. "—a hero! Like in the fairytales you read and in the legends—reads to me—says my name means hero—never lies! I'm gonna save you and then—and then we can run all day on the surface!" _

_Her reaction—the childish curve of a sincere smile—_

His breath caught between gritted teeth, Link jerked forward.

Onto his feet, he was gasping and he did not realize he was squeezing his shirt so tightly. His head spinning, Link turned his neck to take a look at his younger sister. Thankfully, Aryll was sound asleep, so he had to quiet his raspy breathing, before he left her room with a quiet close to her door. While rubbing his temple, Link had to gain his bearings as he took the stairs listlessly to his bedroom. Quiet enough to keep his wife in slumber, he opened a random notebook, flipped to a clean page, and scrambled to scribble all that he could remember.

After Link slipped into bed with his wife, somehow, he did not dream of identical princesses, but of a strong yet soft voice speaking above him, as though pulling him from a deep sleep.

**. **

Aryll wished it was a normal day.

It was sort of impossible to forget last night's events. There was no difference to her big brother's behavior when the morning started with his wife screaming. While Aryll was coaxing the children to eat their cereal, the couple were having a contest of sorts of who-can-convince-the-neighbors-to-file-a-noise-complaint.

_Definitely big brother_, Aryll thought as the children finally finished their breakfast and he finally bounded into the dining room.

"Can you—" she started, but Link read her mind, instantly heading for the kitchen sink where the children had already piled their bowls. It appeared that they had somehow reached a consensus not to talk about _that_ and Aryll was okay with _this_. "C'mon, get ready for school, little ones."

Then while helping the children stuff on their jackets and backpacks, Princess Zelda lingered by the children's' doorway and so was pulled into helping Aryll. For some reason, all Aryll could think of while they conversed casually was a repetitive string of, "_Why do I remember your brother? Why do I remember your brother? Why do I_—"

"Aryll?" The princess buttoned up the last of them as she asked, "Shall I wait with the children while their ride arrives?

Right, they were talking about the children. "Um," she mumbled, tucking back a stray strand. Still, it took a moment for Aryll to think about her current situation. "I don't wanna bother you."

"It's quite alright," replied Zelda, already locking hands with some of the children. "Link and I have been excused from our studies this week." Little arms pulled at the princess and she couldn't help her demure laugh. "I suppose I don't have a choice."

With that, Aryll waved them away, before getting started on her own morning routine. She took a quick shower before fitting into her school uniform and double-checking her satchels' schoolwork. After sending her goodbyes to her grandmother and big brother, Aryll biked her way to school as always. Luckily for her, the tabloid reporters didn't care much for the Crown Prince's younger sister, but the same couldn't be said for her classmates.

They knew at this point to stay away from Aryll, but it bothered her that they were still there.

As she locked her bike, someone called, "Hey, loser!"

Looking up, Aryll already knew whoever said that would live. A smile even graced her expression as she lifted her satchel onto her shoulder, greeting back, "Yeah, loser?"

"Why do we have'ta call each other that?" another voice piped up, waving a long stick as though it was a sword.

Aryll could stand two people around her age and these two were the loud-mouthed Kukiel and the ever logical Joel. For some reason, their school allowed these two exceptions when Kukiel styled her straight skyward (which was forbidden) and Joel always carried that sword-like stick (which was even more forbidden). Still, everyone had their eccentrics in a nerd school.

"So I heard your brother's staying at home now?" Kukiel was immediate to ask.

As her friends walked on either side of her, Aryll breathed a slow sigh. "For a week, actually."

Also interested, Joel also joined in, "I still can't believe he chose to be a prince. Those writers online are such savages, y'know, they call him Prince Hourglass because—"

"_We know_."

"— what he should've done wasc stuck with his sword fighting shinding," Joel commented, crossing his arms in thought. Before Aryll could've given him the look, he added on, "I know, Aryll, you said he married to save the orphanage, but man! How could you not see how totally awesome he is at sword fighting? Nationals are coming up real soon and he's going to slay through it!"

"We know."

The first to crack a grin, Aryll was glad that Kukiel was on her side as Joel crossed his arms, one fist still holding his stick. The three were able to make an interesting conversation about schoolwork since all of them had their varied interests. But what bound them together was the fact that they had most of their core classes together, including their first class. It sucked though, at least Aryll thought that they sat in the front of the room while she was alone in the back. Which wasn't terribly bad but all the kiss-asses were in the back and _oh gods_, she hated how they even opened their mouths in her direction like—

"Class," their teacher interrupted everyone's conversation. Rolling her eyes, Aryll moved her lazy stare to the front. "I want you all to be paying close attention. It appears that we have a sudden addition to our class, so please welcome Prince Royal—"

Everyone gasped at once, but it was Aryll who was the loudest and the closest to a shriek.

It couldn't be true. She refused to believe it. She told her big brother that that brat wasn't real and this just had to prove it. What other moron would be moronic enough to stride coolly into the classroom and stand so impeccably straight with his eyes only on her. They did not leave her when Daltus stood on his toes, whispering into the teacher's ear. Awkward, the teacher tried again, "Please welcome Prince Daltus Nohansen… Uhh, please go ahead and introduce Your Highness?"

His throat cleared, Daltus started, "I bid all of you a good morning. I am well aware that I am younger than all of you, however that difference is only by two years. Do not waste your concern for me when I am certain that I will follow the content for this school. My previous academic institution was Festari Hill Preparatory School located in His Royal Highness' birth country, Picori." A classroom of wide eyes and slackened jaws were Daltus' reaction and he simply bowed. "Please address me as Lark."

If there was something Aryll had learned with her overbearing classmates, it was keeping her cool, but even now, she realized she did not scream internally. Honestly, she knew she showed him her worst the night before, yet here he was walking down the aisle.

It looked like there were no seats next to her—thank the goddesses, Aryll promised she'd pay attention during temple more often—since she was surrounded by idiots, but better them than their prince. Her head down, Aryll clapped herself on the back for not even giving him the satisfaction of one glance. But that was until she heard above her, "Move."

There were two "_Excuse me?_" One from herself and the other from her shocked seatmate to her right. When they both looked up, Aryll realized Daltus was not talking to her.

She and her seatmate both thought the teacher would intervene, however he did no such thing, only starting the day's lesson. Her stare already on the front, Aryll spotted Kukiel and Joel snickering to themselves and mouthing words that were more or less about her relationship with Prince Daltus. Which there was no such thing, or as Aryll thought to be.

"Move," repeated Daltus, his hands tucked into his pockets. Obviously, he was well accustomed to bossing people around and them listening. This time, it might the tiniest of complications when he had to explain, "I will sit next to Gully."

"This is my seat," she argued.

"Move."

"Um, teacher! Prince—umm—Lark is trying to steal my seat!"

Their teacher only ducked his head as Daltus leaned forward to demand again, "_Move_."

She moved.

"Hello, Gully!" greeted the prince, tossing his bag over his chair. Her teeth gritting together, Aryll stared daggers into her textbook as he continued to talk, "I thought a lot about what you said last night and I believe you're right! Let's start over! Oh, is that the textbook for this class?" To her disbelief, the persistent prince pushed his desk directly beside Aryll's, and peered over her shoulder, as though they were already close and not having to 'start over'. "You don't mind sharing with me, don't you?"

They said that when the administrators dragged the normally stoic Aryll Forria out of class, she was still screaming.

**.**

Link was sorry, not sorry.

There were paragraphs of terrible texts, detailing how much his little sister hated Prince Daltus. Honestly, a part of Link thought the younger prince wasn't the type to give up so easily, even when he kinda cried in front of Link. Another part of him thought it was kinda psychotic of the younger prince to transfer so quickly into Aryll's school. Well, Aryll said no to him, so it wasn't much of Link's concern to 'help' Daltus, however he was totally interested in Aryll's messages.

"What are you smiling about?"

A grin in his wife's direction, Link looked back down at his phone. "Am I not allowed to smile?"

Without missing a beat, Zelda flipped through her electronic reading device. "Not around me, you're not."

He laughed and hoped to the goddesses that she wouldn't press further than that. For some reason, Link had to agree with Daltus not to tell his wife anything, and he had a feeling she'd know in due time anyway, but for now, her younger brother's peculiar plan to woo Aryll was going to stay low key.

After sending a frowny face to his sister, Link switched over to the girls' group chat. Of course, they were furious that Link got the week off just because he was spending time at home, but they were happy that Link had to go to school anyway. Sword Fighting Nationals were catching up to them real soon, therefore as their captain, Link needed to instill some last-week training, before the big day. The group chat went on without him for a while since Link was thinking carefully about what strategies he needed to present to his team, now that the participating teams were all revealed.

Silence occupied Link's room for the most part. He sat at his desk with his sword fighting notebook and the hourglass in front of him, occasionally texting back the girls, while his wife reclined in the tiny alcove of his only window. The curtains were down so that she could read with minimum sunlight, and Link had already asked what she was reading, which she had replied, "Why does it matter to you?"

Link had a feeling it wasn't the Hyrulean Civil War.

As soon as the last grain of sand passed through, Link closed his notebook, tucked it in his bookshelf, sat up from his desk, and quietly made his way over to Zelda. It was amusing to him that his wife was sound asleep with her reader dimmed in her lap. He thought that she was just going to sleep her way through the break, which he knew damn well that they both couldn't get enough of that back at the palace. Sympathy told him to lay his wife back against the alcove cushions and he even stacked her WINWAR pillows on top of her. Laughing to himself, Link was about to join his grandmother downstairs when he realized he should shut down her electronic device. And he was going to when he honestly thought it wasn't his fault for impulsively reading whatever was on the screen.

"_I already know who you are," the bearer of Power laughed, his voice darker than the shadows around them. "Just a spoiled, little princess, pampered pretty all your little life."_

"Huh," breathed Link, scratching the side of his hair. "Bearer of Power? She reading some Hyrulean Hero novel?"

"_I'm a prince," corrected the other, bearer of Wisdom. There was no way around the truth. His kingdom had fallen and he was afraid but there was some way to outsmart him, somehow. "I am Prince Neri of Hyrule and I will not take any goatshit from the likes of you, King of Evil."_

_Fear was a feeling Neri was not accustoming to and he especially did not like the way it spiked when the King of Evil ran his teeth over the shell of his ear—_

Eyebrows raised, Link thought, _I do not like where this is going, _as he kept on going,

—"_Could've fooled me," he murmured, husky and heavy in Neri's ear. "If we're introducing ourselves, than I shall add onto one specific detail you've missed terribly." The prince did not ask what that was as he was occupied with his body pressed flush against his enemy. Instead, his baby blue eyes darkened to a glower as the King of Evil took in his effeminately attractive appearance. "King of Evil is empowering and dreadful and all, but do call me Leaf," he chuckled, just a breath's away from the prince, "you'll be screaming it plenty tonight." _

"Ohhh, _pffffffffftt_, shoot me," giggled Link, before he clamped a hand over his mouth. Then another peal of laughter slipped between his fingers, and it wasn't long before he was fetal upon the floor, two hands against his mouth and doing a terrible job to muffle his amazed amusement.

The more he thought about Crown Princess Zelda of Hyrule reading such licentious work of sin, Link had already thrown his head back, and was roaring with laughter. Honest to goddesses, he tried not to express how especially humorous the situation was to him, but even if his wife slept like she really was dead, his grandmother was not deaf to his noisiness.

"Sweetie?" Leilana interrupted, finding her grandson clutching his middle with one hand, and banging the floor with the other. Worried, she knelt over him as he was no longer laughing, but gasping and groaning with a squinted stare. Her hand in his hair, Link's grandmother whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Grandma," he laughed, then grunted. "I cn't, I cann't, _bwa_hhhahahahhaa—"

It was like some strange contagious disease overtook over her grandson with the one symptom of painful, consistent laughter. The ever doting grandmother she was, Leilana fussed over Link onto his feet and bumped her small fist over his back. That appeared to work as his snickering was diminishing, which brought on the thought of how this happened? Looking around, Leilana spotted the princess still sleeping—the pillows she scolded Link for topping them all over his wife and arranged them comfortably—, and then the reading device on the floor. Link's room was already a sort of constant state of mess, but the device must belong to Zelda, therefore Link's grandmother was about to pick it up before he abruptly snatched it himself.

Hiding it behind his back, Link grinned up at Leilana, but this was already suspicious.

"Grandma, it's such a nice day out! How about we go see those prize-winning hibiscuses you were telling to me about?" Link knew exactly what to distract his grandmother with, so he lead her out of his room, and he would have left as well, if he didn't leave behind one little thing for his wife.

When Zelda woke up, the first thing she looked for was her reading device. Strange enough, it was laying right beside her along with a sticky note upon the screen. After peeling it off, she rubbed one hand into her eye, before reading with half-lidded eyes;

**GROSS YOU MANIAC **

Before, Zelda's awakened state was at five percent but after, she was at one hundred and ten as she yanked off her blanket and rushed out of the room as though it was on fire. Which it felt like her face was when she finally found her husband outside with his grandmother. Unfortunately, she did not know about that when she turned the corner into the garden, yelling, "_How dare you call me the gross one as though you've never seen por_—"

By the startled look on Leilana's face, there was no way in Hyrule that Zelda was going to finish that sentence like she originally thought. "Seen… Seen…" she coughed, fiddling with her fingers sheepishly, "Seen, uhhh…"

"Seen what, dear?" prompted Link's grandmother while he was behind her, silently guffawing.

Oh, how the princess wished she could've popped her fist into his gut. Her hand clenching by her hip, Zelda laughed and improvised, "Por-portraits!" '_Good save_,' her husband's expression seemed to say and he thought it was best not read hers. "I told him that the Hyrulean Royal Family has our tradition of sitting down for portraits, and Link said he's never seen a real portrait before!" This was good, Leilana looked smitten at the idea of a painting of her grandson. "That sounded strange to me since we have them all over the palace, since they did like to keep things old-fashioned from then to now."

"How wonderful!" Leilana gasped, grasping her son's arm. "A painting of you, sweetie! You would look absolutely spiffy."

As Link just laughed, it was somewhat cute to Zelda how his grandmother used such an outdated term, so that didn't fail to lighten her mood just a bit. Regardless, her irritation was still there when Link caught the double-edged glare in her smiling stare. Definitely catching on, he excused himself from his grandmother, before lazily making his way to his wife. This was different to him, he never really caught her in a state of embarrassment before, so he was totally going to enjoy this as much as he could.

"Let's walk and talk," she hissed, grabbing his arm, but he allowed it. For some reason, he thought it was a walk around the house, but Zelda pulled him into the neighborhood where, thankfully, no tabloid reporters were waiting for them. "Your grandmother didn't…"

Link shrugged. At once, his wife blanched, but then he said, "Nah."

A dainty hand to her temple, Zelda breathed a slow sigh of relief. "Thank the goddesses." Her voice took on a harsh edge when she spoke lowly, "This is simply a small pastime of mine, I have no affiliation with whatever, _ahem_, graphic content is demonstrated in my readings."

"Whatever floats ya boat," yawned Link. White fingers dug into his elbow, but in Link's head, it was kinda cute how they were going for a walk in the neighborhood, like old couples do. _Kinda felt like a date, if you look far away enough_, Link thought when he really said, "What were you reading, anyway?"

"I didn't write it," was Zelda's immediate response.

She was so quick to say that, Link didn't know if that was a defense to what she was reading or that meant she actually wrote it, but whatever interpretation it really was, he patted her tight hold and whispered, "I believe you, dear."

_Ugh, patronizing was not a befitting tone for him_, Zelda thought, but she said, "Don't act like you're foreign to this sort of thing."

He was piqued. "What sort of thing?"

"You know."

"You know I wanna hear you say it."

"There's no reason that I should!"

"Yeah, but," Link snickered, "I'm the one that caught you and I want you to."

This wasn't a thinly veiled threat, was it? Zelda didn't think her husband was capable of making threats. "Returning to the topic at hand," she retorted, yanking his arm almost out of its socket, "I believe I could easily catch you with one look around your tiny quarters."

Surprisingly, this was not a threat to him. "Uhh, okay." Uninterested in whatever else she had to say, Link rubbed his temple as he laughed, "Go ahead."

"What?"

"C'mon, Zel, I'm not a moron," he sighed. "I live in an orphanage. Most of the occupants here are aged from four to fourteen. They're innocent, little children and some of really nosey and sneaky little squirts. If I was dumb enough to hide, ahem," he mirrored her with a great grin, "_graphic content_ in my room, those buggers will find a way in and the graphic content _and_ know one way or another exactly why I had to hide it, and the face of disappointment my grandma'll have, _no_, never do I wanna see that."

He had a point, which he never seemed to have. Still, Zelda always liked a challenge. "You are certain about that?"

"Babe," called Link, almost flinching when he said that in front of her, "you can bet your sweet ass that there's nothing as embarrassing as gay fanfiction."

While Zelda was yanking at Link's ear, his phone suddenly rang. Not because somebody actually wanted to talk to him, but Zelda checked that was an alarm. There was no label for it so Link, as he rubbed his right ear with a wince, clarified for her, "I gotta go."

Strange, it was usually her with stuff to do. "To where?"

One hand covering his ear, and the other holding her wrist, Link answered, "School. Nationals coming and I gotta whip the team in shape."

"So you're just going to leave me alone?"

His eyebrow quirked as he replied, "You got Grandma. 'Sides, that wasn't a problem with you before." Within another moment, Link realized and a toothy grin brightened his already exuberant expression. "Why? You gonna miss me or something?"

Her retort was instant. "I thought it was somewhat foolish of you to leave your wife alone so suddenly after she is intent on uncovering your lies."

He snickered. "Right, right, well, good luck with that."

She scoffed. "I do not need your word on that."

Stranger, Link ran ahead to the orphanage and opened the gates, only to turn effortlessly as the metal bars spread before him. As it squeaked and sputtered behind him, he said to Princess Zelda, "Believe me, you're gonna need it."

She would have to see about that.

**.**

After leaving his wife absolutely fuming, Link was on his way to school. Under any other circumstance, he would have dreaded to go to such a place, but since it was for sword fighting, he was totally okay with this. Moments passed as he made small talk with Rinku in the driver's seat, before they arrived in the parking lot near the gymnasiums.

"Hey!" called Link, shouldering a green duffle bag. "You coming with?"

The guard frowned. "I had always accompanied Your Highness."

His memory was as great as ever. "Right," realized Link, waiting for his guard to check the vehicle, before they left side-by-side. A thousand-year-old question popped up in his mind and he thought it was appropriate to ask, "Hey, Rinku, I heard from Ezlo that to be an official guard of the Crown Prince, you gotta know how to sword fight."

It was like he anticipated this question before as he replied, "Swordsmanship is a requirement because it is not only Hyrule's national sport, but because it is a traditional skill that has been down for generations." While his explanation was sinking in for Link, he clarified, "As palace guards of Hyrule, we must use sword fighting for the way it is intended for."

"Sweet Farore." Just to be a hundred percent sure, the prince asked, "So you've, like, slayed down people before?"

Just as they stopped before the gymnasium doors, the guard met his superior's inquisitive stare and said, "Would Your Highness believe it?"

"Captain! Captain! Heyo, Captain!"

The repetitive calls for him were a much more overwhelming matter than his answer to Rinku, so Link bobbed his head just a slight, before he turned toward the bunch of overexcited high schoolers. But then again, he turned around his guard who called out, "Practice at your best, Your Highness. The King of Hyrule will not expect anything less."

When Link thought those numbskulls couldn't hear for naught, they had surrounded their leader, wondering aloud about the king. Since that was none of their concern, Link had shifted to his sword-fighting-captain voice and ordered, just once, to move their asses to the outside field. Out there, it was a slight tangent off the original schedule: the team had to run, perfect both their offensive and defensive moves, run, try out some old strategies that Link decided to bring back, run, and from there, it was just random one-on-one in order for the members to accustom to fighters of different strength and stature. Oh, and a last minute run.

Just an average practice, really.

Afterward, their captain turned back into nice approachable Link as he congratulated them for an afternoon turned pre-evening well spent. Most members were dying to head home, but Link had to stay behind to help out their slowest member as he ran an extra mile with him.

"C'mon, Bubby!" yelled Link, jogging easily beside him. "Run like you're out of formation and your enemies are hot on your heels! The farther they are from you, the more time you have to regroup! There's no thinking for now, so run, run, run!" Gasping for breath, he was already greener in the face than he usually was, but Link sprinted ahead, intending to push him. It worked in some way as Bubby barely lifted his head to see the distance between him and his captain expand, and he forced his stubby legs faster. "There you go! C'mon, c'mon!"

A moment later, Bubby lunged over the starting line, immediately collapsing on the field. Honestly, Link was sweating from the day's earlier practice and he itched for another run, but instead he kneeled over his teammate and extended a hand. Bubby accepted.

It turned out his slowest member had shaved off several seconds for his mile time, so they both were feeling rather accomplished. Link had wanted to go for another mile, but Bubby was quick to say no, just thanking his captain, before scampering away to the locker rooms.

Even though Link would rather go back to the track field, he decided he shouldn't keep his lovely wife waiting at home. There was no sign of Bubby or anyone else in the locker rooms, so Link grabbed his duffle bag and called Rinku for pickup. The guard had actually wanted to meet the prince out at the field, but just missed him. Still on call, they decided to meet at the gym parking lot for convenience and it was the original plan, Rinku reminded him.

Just as Link turned the corner away from the lockers, he heard voices he could catch anywhere.

"Lj_unmira-yeda_—"

"Hush, _aleang_." He listened, which was strange to Link since that dude didn't take no crap from anybody. "There is no good to those who worry as much you do." A low laugh sounded and, perking up, Link finally walked within their peripheral visions. "Oh, it's Link!"

Honestly, before today, he hadn't seen either of them ever since his coronation. "Hey, Poppy," he greeted. As always, a sunny smile lit up those exact facial features as his wife. It was a nice sight he wished was more frequent upon his actual wife. Then with those guy nods, Link said, "Yo, Darek. Thanks for pulling some of my weight today." The co-captain nodded back. "You guys busy right now?" Darek and Poppy shared a glance, a whole conversation expressed through raised eyebrows and narrowed eyes. Since Link didn't speak facial expressions, he suggested, "But if you're busy, I'm fine if you just wanna walk with me to the parking lot?"

"Yes! Let's that!" Poppy pulled them on either side of her, but Darek mentions that she was pulling them in the wrong direction.

This time with Link leading, he started saying, "So, Poppy, the girls told me you've been replacing me?"

"Oh, that was not my intention," she realized. "I have been watching their practice performances, which they tell me you do not do much of. And I make an observation." Link didn't think people would make observations, unless they were in a scientific atmosphere, and he couldn't help smirking at Darek. He shrugged. "Their professional dancing is different from how they will dance in the night."

Link knew exactly what she was talking about. "Well, yeah, they're not majoring in, uhhhh, what you say night dancing?" This was confusing to Poppy and Darek wanted to explain to her, as he's been doing, but he couldn't. Listing off his fingers, Link explained, "From what I think, Proxi is a ballroom dancer so she usually dances with a partner. Ciela's ballet, so that's obviously different than club dancing, but Navi and Tatl are all over the place. I've known them forever so I've seen them start with ballet, but then they got into jazz and and all that modern stuff. That's kinda similar to their night dancing, but not entirely."

"How is that so?" she piped.

Standing still, he took a moment. "The intentions, I guess?" After another moment, he was walking in tune with them again, although slowly. "When they dance before an audience, it's to, uhh, like make the audience feel something, you know? But when they're dancing with an audience, the night dancing, it's because they feel something… like, you know what Tatl said."

Somehow Poppy had interpreted Tatl's exclamation for a man for something else. "Because she's lonely?"

–_so I don't feel lonely?_

"Not really…" muttered Link, raising a hand against his temple. There was an itch inside his head he couldn't scratch. "You'll see what I mean at Fairy Fountains. There's all sorts of pro dancers, so it's gonna be lit."

A dainty hand to her lips, the Gerudo girl tilted her head and commented, "You know much about the dancing?"

It sounded like a question, but Link thought it was a statement of surprise. "Well, yeah. The girls love it so I can't help learning a thing or two. Plus, it helps with sword fighting." Now her expression was definitely one of surprise. "Oh, yeah, right, Dar—" If Link was wondering why Darek wasn't saying anything, it was because he had picked up a phone call in the middle of the conversation. Letting him speak inaudibly to the caller, Link lowered his voice and continued, "When it comes down to it, dancing is about footwork and knowing your space, see? Sword fighting is exactly that too. You trip up in dancing, you're done and the same's for sword fighting, except you got a sword to your throat."

Her head bobbed once. "I see."

"And I guess dancing makes you aware of all your body and the type Navi and Tatl are into, it really helps moving all around." A slight snicker emitted from Link and he clapped a hand onto his mouth. "I might have taught a few dancing exercises to my team, just so they're a little more flexible on the field."

Laughing, they stopped in the gymnasium parking lot. Ahead, Rinku waved one arm and Link waved back. Still waving, he noticed Darek a few feet away, mid-call, and he turned to Poppy. "Hey, let's hang out again. You free this week? Check for that dude too. I don't get to talk with him much outside of practice." It only took a minute to decide on a date and time, which was on the last day of Link's homestay, but it was just something to look forward to. As he wrote down the information on his hand, he grinned up at Poppy. "Great! I'll see you later then!"

As she waved at him, Link upped and left with a hand to his head.

His phone within a white fist, Darek raised his eyes on Link's back as he whispered to Poppy. "L_junmira-yeda_, I have a feeling, like those of the sinking sands."

"_Ajullae aleang_, do not forgot so quickly." When she looked at him, it was like looking into the sun. Her excitement practically blinding him, Darek winced when she mused, "Do not worry for there will come no good, _aleang_."

**.**

There had to be at least _something_.

Whenever Link was off to the academy for his daily dose of team testosterone, Zelda was furiously searching through his room. Honestly, she thought he would be lying and his personality rubbed off the wrong at times, but Link was good as gold. The closest item she could find to graphic content was photographs of what appeared to be Link and the girls during a spring or summer break. But even with the girls in bikinis, Zelda knew if she would present this to her husband as her comeback, he'd just howl with laughter at her and she knew damn right she deserved it.

"Ugh," groaned the princess, and pulled her long hair into a ponytail. The sixth day was as exhausting as the first. "This would be a lot easier if his bedroom wasn't used as storage for that old office."

Fatigued, she leaned against one of the cabinets, but it wasn't as strong as she thought. Her arm only slightly leaned against the top, still, the first drawer popped out and toppled onto Link's carpet. With another groan, Zelda leaned down to collect the papers that fell, until she saw a notebook that immediately caught her eye.

It was a sort of bulky notebook with a faded green cover. Upon the front, someone had written in fading permanent marker, **Look at MY son! My amazing son ! **Her eyebrows knitting together, Zelda was certain she wouldn't find any incriminating evidence against Link, but she had a feeling she would find something.

Sitting crisscrossed, she flipped to the first page.

Eyes widened, then closed as she sighed. "I didn't know what I was expecting."

Taped to the page was a CD disk cover and inside of that, an actual CD. Honestly, Zelda didn't expect this technology to be real, yet here they were in shiny, reflective surface. From what she knew, one can insert a compact disc into a computer, so she did exactly that. Settled into her signature alcove seat, the princess sat with her legs crossed and her laptop balanced on her knees and a WINWAR, Quill's face actually, pillow.

"Alright," she breathed, the CD now whirring into her computer. "There has to be something to reveal Link's foolish antics. Not that hard."

Once the CD loaded, her expectation was photographs, but what she got was a single video file. Curious, she clicked on the video and it opened full-screen. At first, the video was just black for a few minutes, before it appeared a camera was lifted from a dark area.

A man was on the center screen and a gratified grin played accrossZelda's lips. "Nice," she mused to herself, the tips of her fingers tapping her lower lip. "Am I looking into the future?"

Zelda wasn't dumb. If the man on the screen looked exactly like Link, but sort of cuter and long-haired, then he must be either Link's grandfather, Smith, or Link's father. The latter was more formidable, but she watched the video moments longer just to see. Link's cuter look-alike brought the camera down to his chest where he held a close-eyed newborn with one arm.

"Link," Zelda called as though a game show when the man said, "Welcome to the world, Linika."

"What the fuck," she responded as off-screen, a deep, yet certainly a woman's, voice piped up, "I'm still against this, Lee."

The camera shifted quickly, over to a woman in a hospital bed. If Zelda was caught off-guard by the man, she was even more taken aback by the mother. Even drained in bed, she appeared to bear strength when her body's build had more muscle than a normal woman's, from what Zelda could see. Still, there was a particular catch to one's eye as well, like that of a sleek lioness as she raked an olive-tanned hand into her unusually short pixie cut. Honestly, Zelda could not tell this woman just had a baby.

"She's kinda hot," she murmured as Lee rambled, "How can you say that, Penny? It makes sense to you, right? Both of our names together 'cause—"

"Link is the both of us," finished Penny with a sigh. Zelda had a feeling she could relate to that. "You may write whatever you wish on his birth document, Lee, but I will call our son, Link. I suppose until he does not agree with Link, but I doubt it." Her blue eyes fluttered, as though exhausted from this conversation. "Agreed?"

"Agreed!"

_So this is Link. Link's real name is Linika Forria. Oh my gods, _Zelda thought in hidden laughter. She would had ended the video right then and there, to go search for the birth certificate, but this was extraordinarily interesting to watch. She clicked play.

As Lee took a seat on his wife's bed, Link still sleeping in his arm, he said, "Penny, you don't really think he'll grow up fighting monsters and all that, do ya?"

It was an unspoken rumor if the Hyrulean Hero that transpired generations was really named Link. Even Zelda wasn't certain, but there was some truth when it came to the hero. Meanwhile, Link's mother answered, "I don't know." Gingerly, her hand rested in Link's tuft of straw-like hair and she smiled. "I certainly don't want him to suffer those hardships trying to save Hyrule. I guess I just want our Link to grow with a pure heart, just like the hero did."

The video cuts off then. Not taking any crap from technology, Zelda checked the length of the video, which had a few more minutes on it. There was nothing else to do, but wait as the video continued, screening a black screen, before the camera slowly eased onto Link, a few years on him now, and Lee. It appeared to be during Link's feeding time and, of course, baby Link had some sort of green vomit all over himself and his father as well.

Whoever was filming was snorting low laughter from their throat as Lee cooed, "C'mon, Link! Say Dada!"

He really didn't know what he was doing, or at least that was the impression Zelda was getting. The camera panned closer to baby Link who spurt, what, digested green beans onto his father as he said with bared teeth, "Reeeeeee ,reeereeee, Reeeeeeeeeee."

With no attention to his green-splattered appearance, Lee banged his head onto the table, groaning, "C'mon, kiddo! Please, Link, I promise I won't name any more of your brothers or sisters in my lifetime, so _please_…"

"Please don't," laughed Zelda as the filmer revealed herself, setting the camera where she could be seen.

Lee looked up as his wife sat in his chair across from their son, Link automatically stretching his arms to her. "Penny, where did I go wrong?" She and Zelda both erupted with laughter. A pout played her husband's mouth as he turned back to Link, "Link! Here's Penny! Can you say Penny?"

Almost instantly, Link was leaning out of his baby chair as he yelled, "Maaaaaamm! Maaaaammmmaaa! Mammaaaa!"

It was hard not to laugh, even though Zelda felt some sort of sympathy for Lee. Still, his wife was cackling as well, and she lifted Link, as dirty as he was, into her lap and sifted through his half-green, half-blonde hair. From his mother's actions, he mewled and Zelda just realized how adorable he was then. _What happened?_ she thought. "Lee, I'll be the one to name our children, is that agreed?"

A hand rubbing green vomit food out of his hair, Lee sighed. "Agreed."

Again, the video blacked out immediately after that. Again, Zelda checked the video length and it appeared there was time for one more clip. She was right when there were clicking noises, before the disorientated camera panned on a hallway, before stopping before a door.

Disbelief leaked in his voice as Lee whispered to the door, "Can you believe this?"

"Believe what?" inquired Zelda, before she realized she was talking to a video. It wasn't long before the door opened, and focused on a bed. There was a dimmed light upon those who rested inside, but it wasn't until Lee tiptoed closer that Zelda saw for herself.

Of course, there was Link who was now ages older. This Link was very familiar to Zelda as the edges of boyishness was a feature of his she could never erase. Still, he appeared to be a momma's boy as he buried closer to his mother's side as her hand was brushing his hair on its own. Zelda thought because of that, Penny was somehow awake but her even breathing and closed eyes would say otherwise. It was then that Zelda noticed another child, another straw-haired newborn, curled upon her mother's breast.

"So we have Penny, right," Lee spoke from within the darkness. Her eyebrows knitted, the princess leaned closer to her computer's screen, attempting to scrutinize the slumbering trio. "Then we have Link and our newest addition, Aryll. And, yes, Penny decided on the name after my mother suggested it. Oh my goddesses, they're so cute, they're napping without their dad, but I don't care, this is the cutest family, hahaahahaaa—"

The video cut off from there. Ended.

For some reason, there was a warmth Zelda expected, but there was something else in her chest. Or nothing at all. Emptiness, possibly. Tears pricked at her eyes, and Zelda brushed it off, reasoning it was because how touching Link's family was. Or maybe something else about his family. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. Her laptop moved to the side, the princess was about to search for that birth certificate when she also dropped the notebook from beside her. Picking it up, the notebook was open to a page Zelda never knew was there.

_Amber eyes, _she read. _She doesn't believe I'm real. I think she's been alone for too long. I have to prove to her I'm real. I want to save her like my namesake, so I promise her I will. She believes in me but I don't know if I ever carried out my promise to her. I don't blame her if she never forgave me. _

_I'm pretty sure she's Poppy. _

**.**

At the same time, Link was wondering which notebook he had written in. Honestly, he wanted to bring up the fact that he remembered Poppy from when she was a child. Not only that, he felt déjà vu strike him hard when he swore he told her exactly that. But how could he slide that into their conversation? It wasn't like he pop from nowhere, "Hey, so like I have this memory of you and me when we were kids and you told me you were lonely and I wanted to help you, but I'm so sorry where in Hyrule am I going with—"

"Link!"

"Poppy!" he called back.

_Whoa_, he thought and this time he didn't say it aloud. Poppy was dressed in her casual wear, which Link had never seen before and he had known her for several months now. The warm weather was on the rise, so she had opted for a shawl, a sleeveless shirt, and shorts. His forehead furrowing, Link thought the girls might be behind this.

As she ran up to him, Link noticed aloud, "Where's Darek?"

Her go-to response, she smiled sadly. "He had the stuff to do."

Well, the two of them was nothing Link couldn't handle. "Alrighty. You said you're fine walking around the Center Fountains Gardens?" Since she never been, it was a proud sight of Hyrule's capital and Link thought it might be that the Gerudo Desert didn't have that much flora anyway. It's a pretty cool tourist location, although Poppy told him she visited Castle Town tons before. But not with Link, this was their first. "Leggo."

At first, Link just pointed out every single flower and some kind of fun fact, thanks to his grandmother's love of gardening. Since Poppy was giving him her undivided attention, he couldn't help telling her about the Sea Flower which was native to the sea where his grandmother grew up.

"You're very close to your grandmother," Poppy replied when he was done talking. It might not seem like it but Link could be a talker at times. "I heard you were very close to your grandfather as well."

"Yeah." Rubbing his neck, Link laughed to the side. "It was my grandfather that kinda got me into marrying Zelda and all. I mean," he started again, raising his hands in defense, "I don't have anything against my grandpa, he was a great guy, but I kinda wish I knew about this earlier. Prepare myself a little, you know, since Zelda and her little brat of a brother had their entire lives to learn about Royal Education and here I am, clueless with a few years to learn everything."

"I think you are appearing well," said Poppy.

Link snorted. "That's what you get from seeing me, but believe me, underneath all this is a mess, just like my life."

Accordingly, the Gerudo girl laughed with a hand to her parted lips. Chuckling as well, Link clasped his hands behind his neck and stared straight ahead when he brought up an interesting question, "Hey, Poppy, you ever feel like we met before?"

"Like in another life?"

He shook his head. "Like when we were younger?"

Her index finger pressed against her lower lip, Poppy thought about it. "Why would you say that?"

This was now or never. "I remember you." She said nothing, but Link didn't interpreted that for good or bad just yet. "Like maybe when we were kids. My sister remembers you too. You were sad, and you looked like you might cry, but..."

Again, her voice was almost inaudible as she questioned, "Why did the child Poppy look as though she might cry?"

"Because she'd been hurting for a long while_._"

Poppy didn't have to press any further than that. The realization that had overtaken his expression was answer enough. In the middle of this, Link had stopped and stilled on the pathway, his eyes as lost as his position in the gardens. Smiling, she walked her way in front of him and placed one hand on his cheek. He did not move. Still, she raised onto her toes and tilted her head downward so he could barely register that she had said, "Link." _I know_, he wanted to say, _I know_. "Link, wake up."

**.**

There were three things Link remembered.

1\. Not only did he remember Poppy, but that memory of Zelda in the moonlight, asking for something he did and still does not know to agree to, Link knew he had met both of them before all this.

2\. His wife, Crown Princess Zelda, had lied to him with a blue, potato-like flute.

3\. A memory:

_"Link." His bed was much more comforting so Link fought against the gentle hand ruffling his hair. Above him, a strong and soft voice laughed lightly. "C'mon, Link. Your sister's already up. Mom's waiting for you, alright?" He was right. He could hear her deep articulation wrapping his hearing with Aryll's name, soft, soft. Almost as soft as the voice above him. "C'mon, kiddo. Wake up." _

**.**

**. . **

**. . .**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**a/n:** i know this is plot reveal overload but a sneak peek at domestic life shouldn't be all peace and quiet for zelink. i have plans for them. do u know how much i didn't want to write this. compared to how much i wanna finish this monstrosity i have to haveto i'll try to update in december so don't say i don't do anything for u guys like ohhhh my goodness thank god no one the authros notes

**next chapter previews:** SWORD IS LIFE

**thanks for reviewing i love you:**

**Skydragon74193:** yeah zelda wants him B) ❤

**Hyrulean Queen Zelda:** forria is a last name i made up for link in an older story, kinda made up of Forest &amp; Hylia, and i didn't know this but floria was also a location in SS haha ❤

**tpzelink**: u don't want them to marry, u got it ;) (_in the distance… daltus is screaming_) ❤

**Grim77: **aight ❤

**~ saraven**


	15. is

**15**

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**hello….. yes i'm still here….…  
i've created the gameplay page &amp; the instructions are to  
1\. go to my profile and type in my tumblr as from my bio thing  
2\. add onto the end link: post/139627132057/sword-is-life  
if #2 doesn't work, search for the tag: "prince hourglass"  
i've included a few pictures and members' roles for link's team as they are the secondary characters in this chapter  
speaking of, some generous readers have filled up link's team so my thanks;  
Rikken, Jagar, Clint, &amp; Percy to Chameleon Eyes  
Bubby (King Bulbin) to Hyrulean Queen Zelda  
Radensky to Skydragon74193  
and my friend's okay with me stealing her Indigo hehe  
so happy reading &amp; i am not apologizing for the ending**

**.**

_C'mon, kiddo. _

_Wake up. _

_C'mon, _

_kiddo._

_Wake—_

"Yo, Captarino!"

Surprising himself, Link jolted when a hand clamped over his shoulder. Bleary-eyed, he met with the crooked grin of his third-year junior. Blatant concern was obvious in his voice when he said to his captain, "You alright, man?" Clueless, Link blinked up at him until the third-year pointed at his neck and verbally pointed out, "Cat got your throat?"

Immediately, Link lowered his stare and his gloved hands into his lap, his fingernails digging into leathered palms. With a low laugh, he said, "It's cat got your tongue, Jagar, tongue." Link's rumpled head turned, side to side, but he never looked up. "I'm talking fine—I'm fine."

"If you say so," Jagar shrugged, then slapped Link's shoulder with all he got. That _hurt_. He leaned into Link, one hand between his mouth and his captain's ear. "If ya want, I smuggled some of that good—"

There was no further discussion about it. His hand flying from his forehead, Jagar saluted his captain, before striding off to the walls of lockers where his teammates all yelled at him to quit yapping away and take a godsdamn breath mint for once. Honestly, Link couldn't help smiling to himself when the dude he'd just spoken to was now lecturing the sword fighting crew about the dangerous chemicals in breath mints.

_Breath mints_, Link thought and raked a hand through his bedhead.

His fingers now stilled among straw-like strands, Link watched his subordinates prepare themselves. They were all accordingly ignoring Jagar's lengthy explanation, since they heard about it from his anti-water perspective as well. On the far side, Rikken and Clint were having a side-conversation, no doubt by the blush blooming underneath Rik's eyes and Clint's continuous quirks of his perfect eyebrows that they were talking about women. Link didn't mind, at least they were fully dressed, ready to go. That also went for Henry who had popped in his earphones and was playing an invisible violin. But his movements were bothering Bubby and Piggy—ah, Percy, Link corrected—who were still strapping on their calf armor. Those two were the slowest, as well as on the field, however they had plenty of time before their first battle in Nationals.

Just thinking about it tangled Link's nerves, so he focused somewhere else.

Radensky had started a small stretching session with Indigo, which tempted their captain to join. It would do some good to loosen his already high-strung muscles, however Link couldn't move from his seat. It would seem that he would unfortunately simmer in his nerves if his co-captain hadn't decided to join him.

"Hey," greeted Link, able to move his head to him. It seemed he was still preparing, although in his full armor, Darek was occupied with tying his hair back. Since he noticed, Link asked, "You gonna bun that up?"

His face tilted toward the ground, Darek looped his hairband a second time. "No."

"Aren't you afraid someone's gonna chop it off?"

His white hair wavering, he shook his head. "Captain, are you afraid?"

Scratching the back of his blonde head, Link questioned back, "Of my hair?"

Darek gave him a look, a very distinct _you-dumbass_ look, as he tightened his ponytail.

"Oh, of this whole thing?" A crooked finger scratched at his cheek. "What? No. Totally no… well, okay, maybe a little." Link snorted and crossed his arms, as though indignant with confronting his fears. "It doesn't matter. We're gonna slay no matter what."

Agitation was the word Link would use to describe Darek's expression. The co-captain sighed, "No. I believe you. I don't think it's that you're afraid of the tournament, but…" It changed, the way his narrowed facial features smoothed out of realization. "Captain, is there something else?" Link didn't answer, nor did he want to. "Captain, is there something bothering you?"

_Bothering me?_ Link thought, exhibiting his rare glower. _Something bothering me? Oh, I don't know, Darek, maybe it's bothering me that I knew my wife before this stupid marriage, and I knew Poppy too, who, by the way, I haven't seen in forever because my wife is stealing her away from me! Maybe it's bothering me that my wife somehow used a potato to somehow shut down my memories and straight on lie to me! Or maybe what's bothering me the most is that I'm trying to wake up, but what I really wanna do is just rip—_

"Captain?"

Again, he jolted and his train of thought vanished. Patting Darek's shoulder, Link smoothly came to a stand. For the second time, he had to reassure his subordinate, "I'm fine, let's go."

Just in time, a bell signaled for Link's team to move. Bubby and Percy were finally dressed in full armor and the first two to dash into an offside hallway. Not as hurriedly, the others strode in the same direction, double-checking their armor and carrying their helmets under one arm. For the majority, this was their first time at Nationals, which gave them a reason to get them worked up. However, Link had explained the format millions of times and they'd watched the videos and played through a rough replication of Nationals sword fighting. That could explain why they milled about the end of the hallway, not one wrecked with terrible nerves. Some of them were also watching the current two teams going at it upon double screens. Silence surrounded the lot when they knew they'd eventually go against the victor from the televised battle.

That was if, and only if, they win their match.

"Hahaha," Indy suddenly snickered. Honestly, this third year's bangs covered his eyes so it was a wonder to Link how he could even watch. "You know what would suck?"

The closest to him, Bubby grunted, "Wat?"

Facing Indy, the other members were interested as well as he answered, "If East High won." They were slightly surprised by his answer. "Those impossible idiots continue to group up, even though it's the most elementary strategy known to every sword fighter."

While his teammates agreed, it had apparently worked against their rival's last survivor, which signaled the end of that match.

His squad dissolved into disappointed groans, Link scolded them to quiet down. The announcers were applauding their efforts, as rudimentary as they were, and declaring East Hyrulean Fields High School's step up to the final four. His mind was wholly wrapped on joining the final four, but Link shook his head, attempting to focus back to the television.

"And now," the announcer, Purd, spoke into the microphone, winking as the camera focused on him, "in just several moments, we will be watching the last group of the final eight! Whichever team wins in this round will move up to snag the last spot in the final four! Now, Lowe, what can you tell me about Veil Falls High?"

"Not a lot, Purd!" Both he and his collaborator chuckled into their respective microphone. Link always wondered why they were laughing when it wasn't remotely funny. "They're a newcomer lineup into sword fighting Nationals and for their past few years, they've been stopped in Eldin Provincials! I think it's fair to say it's a nice surprise to see their bright shining faces across big screens, isn't it?" They chortled again and Link groaned, along with several of his teammates. "Well, Purd, I gotta say if they've made the jump from Provincials to Nationals, then they've got a card up their sleeve, haven't they?"

"You got that right, Lowe! I don't know about you, but when I took a look at their stats, I must say they're not bad. But that's just it. Not bad." Both commentators entertained the thought that they were thinking about it, before Purd continued, "We wish all the best to Veil Falls! Remember to always keep _fighting_!"

"Fighting!" the crowd crowed back.

Honestly, Link blinked incredulously when he almost forgot people wanted to watch him fight.

"And what about their opponent?" inquired Lowe.

"Aah, now here we have a return!" exclaimed Purd. Now, Link and his teammates were all ears as the announcer explained, "Castle Central Academy of the Arts and Athletics! Whew, that was quite a mouthful, wasn't it, Lowe? Hahaha—"

"Shut up!" yelled Clint. Shaking his head, Link patted his only first year as he crossed his arms, agitated. "Why in Hyrule are these announcers never women?"

"—of course, Castle Central is in the spotlight because of their captain?"

A slow grin started across Lowe's mouth. "Now you're talking, Purd! I'm sure millions of Hyruleans aren't aware of this interesting tidbit, but Castle Central's captain is sort of a celebrity around here! Or you could even say all around Hyrule!"

As Link's teammates bellowed with cheers, he simply listened to Purd speak, "You got that right, Lowe! Captain Link of the Castle Central Academy sword fighting team is also famously known as our Crown Prince Link of Hyrule!" They paused for effect when the crowd was clamoring madly at that. It made Link blush, just a little. "Not only that, His Highness was co-captain last year when they made Nationals as well! Unfortunately, they were halted in their tracks when they faced Death Mountain Academy!"

Melodramatic, Lowe cried, "Oh no, not Death Mountain Academy!"

"Oh yes, Lowe, Death Mountain Academy just wouldn't allow them into the final four last year! But perhaps this year would be a different story? Perhaps, they could even make it as the Nationals gold medal champ?"

"I would believe it, Purd!" The microphone practically touching his lips, Lowe revealed, "Castle Central has won first place in Nationals before! I remember it like it was three years ago." They sniggered, but Link's crew wasn't on the edge of their set. This triumph was history to them. "Ah, just when Captain Link was only a first year fledgling did he and, his current Ranger, Rikken, were able to stand on that first prize pedestal. You and I, Purd, were up in this box and we watched those young, bawling faces as their team was awarded the best sword fighting youths in all of Hyrule. Thanks to them and the brilliant strategizing of their captain, Elli Elicrim."

In the crowd, there was a particular female-dominated screaming that could be heard from the announcer's box. Hearing that, the two commentators laughed it off, before Purd added on, "Aha, that Elli Elicrim! What talent! What a fighter! Scouts were tripping each other just to get their card in his hands!" A megawatt grin winked at the camera. "Let's hope the same could be offered to the lucky gold medal winner of Hyrule's National Sword Fighting!"

"_Fighting!_"

"Now let's get started, why don't we?" Shuffling filled the end of the hallway as Link's team checked their armor fittings for the last time. "This is the last match of the quarter-finals, everyone. We have on the left side, our newcomer challenger, Veil Falls High!" The audience cheered, appropriately and just the right volume. "On the opposite right, their opponent, Castle Central Academy!" The cheering was significantly louder, although Link wouldn't admit that he noticed. "You know the drill everyone! The first team that has eliminated all 10 members of their rival's side or collected the most points after time runs out, either way, does not matter—that team wins!" After waiting for another cheer to die down, Lowe spoke, "Right now, both sword fighting teams are waiting to be released into the field where they'll clash and slash. That will begin in five minutes, folks, and we will begin the half minute countdown when time calls."

Just then, the wall to their left grinded, whirred, and began to turn over to its other side, revealing ten sets of broadswords and shields. As they were instructed by Link a million times beforehand, each member grabbed a set according to their number. That particular number then appeared to blink and then brighten from upon their armored chests. As each member held and swung their Nationals-accepted weapons, Link stood in front of the crew with his sword in its sheath and his shield ready upon his forearm. Ignoring the babbling of the televisions, most members had already copied his position by the time he spoke.

"Alright, guys," started Link and crossed his arms. It kinda set the mood. "Veil Falls are newbies in this game, so they don't really know what to expect. Truthfully, that also means we don't know what to expect of them, so we're going to have to take on a defensive stance." Maybe it was the nerves, but some people gave Link a reaction that might've been a question mark. "Garriers, on alert! Rangers, on stand. Got it?"

Mostly everyone got it except Henry who raised his hand as he asked, "O-Riders group together?"

Link shook his head. "Partner with Darek. Bubby'll come with me until the intel comes in."

Knowing that, the O-Rider bumped shoulders with the co-captain as Bubby silently bumped shoulders past his members toward the captain. They said nothing as the others chattered excitably, rearranging to stand next to their pair partner, and donned their safety helmets. Link and Bubby did not mind the silence between them. They still didn't even as the half minute countdown begin, ticking the time they were to run onto the battlefield.

"Thirty seconds till the Group Four Sword Fighting." Link heard the boys whooping and yelling, attempting to surpass the countdown's powerful volume, and also a very deep voice beside him, "Captain would be proud."

It was small, but nice, the thought that his senior superior would take pride in the progress Link had paved for his team. An easy smile curved his dry lips as Link nudged Rikken and laughed, "Appreciate that, man."

Just as he nodded, the end of the hallway lifted and the light of the outside was encroaching upon the tip of their boots. Simultaneously, Link and his squad had tightened their hold upon their swords and stilled. Tense, they waited, their breathing matched to the final five seconds. "Four." They began to lean forward though as though competitors in a track meet. "Three." It wasn't all at once, but at this point, there was a collective inhale. "Two." Their chests stayed puffed up and they refused to release their breath until they heard it—that horn could be heard from up ahead, signaling Link to lurch forward as his members were running.

**.**

"What outcome do you expect, my dear?"

Princess Zelda knew it was required that she immediately look up and gently put down her teaspoon. Still, for the princess in the presence of the king, she neither kept her chin delicately tipped nor her steps toward His Majesty as dainty as some fragile flower. No, rather, the princess hurried to bring the tea to her father and carefully settled the tea set on the coffee table between them. With her eyes on the ceiling-to-floor windows, where the battlefield below lied open, bare, and prepared for sword fighting collisions, she poured the tea into two cups, before offering the first to the king.

Declining, he shook his head as she gave a monotone answer to his question, "Of course, my dearest's victory."

His signature, gravelly laugh filled her ears, causing a sheepish smile to cross her lips. Slipping a silver flask from his coat, King Daltus replied, "You don't sound too happy about that, darling."

Immediately, his reply was ignored, rather the alcohol was focused upon and snatched away. The Hyrulean king was appalled, hearing his daughter chastise him like a child, "Father, don't tell me you've forgotten!" This time, he mirrored her sheepish smile. "Your illness has yet to weaken and the Royal Physician gave specific instructions for a ban of this!" The flask wiggled in her grip and her father reacted with a rather boyish frown when she ordered the nearest servant to set it aside. Then as they returned to their positions, she lifted a teacup demurely and sighed into it. "Father, you must take better care of your health."

Honestly, Zelda never got used to how her father would shrug his shoulders as though it was the most natural reaction. "I'm feeling wonderful, my dear." With a quick glance to the windows, she drank warm tea. Behind her emotionless expression, there was the thought that she knew whom exactly he had learned shoulder shrugging from. Irritation rising, she tried to bury it deep down as her father jested, "It won't kill me if I enjoy the odd drink here and there?"

"_Father_."

"I'm careful, I pride myself upon my care! Dove, don't worry your pretty perfect mind over your ol' man. You're decades too soon for grey hairs, hmm?" Her strict doting manner had been taught by her mother, but when a girlish giggle escaped from the princess, she learned long ago that kind of behavior was encouraged before her father. "Allow me to worry over you," he said to her, and Zelda was aware that the king took his role as her parent seriously. "Sweetheart, I must ask, are you happy at all?"

"Not really." There was no point in lying. "I was never happy about this marriage arrangement."

He sighed, heavily. "I had an inkling you were not."

"Who in their right mind would be happy married at eighteen?" the princess tested, rhetorically, of course.

As she plucked a brown bottle from the tea set, her father teased, "Your mother married me at your age."

This was easy pickings to retort back, "Yes, but was mother happy?"

This struck a nerve with the king, however the princess never had the intention to hurt him. Because he dutifully played his role as her loving father, her respect rarely waned for him. Guilt darkened her gaze, shame pushing her head to bow before him. Still, his bearded mouth remained an amiable arc as he gently held her hand and murmured, "I gave my all trying to, love."

Silence was inevitable so Zelda slipped back her hand, using both to pour the glass bottle into a tea bowl. The sound of liquid flowing was comforting, but it wasn't exactly what needed to be heard. Zelda knew she could apologize to her father. But then she thought about it. She and her mother were in similar circumstances. Married at eighteen, to men they did not choose for themselves, yet with all the strangeness of the situation aside, both their husbands gave their attempts to please their wives.

Always the considerate one, her father was inducing her to think of someone else. But the comparisons between the two was a reality Zelda didn't want to deal with.

Her father was cunning, if anything else.

Her eyebrows narrowed, Zelda passed the tonic to the king. He drank and she said, "Father, I had asked you this a hundreds of times before, and I'll ask you again." When the king lowered his medicine, he met her similar steady stare as though gazing into a mirror. "Why did you marry me to Link?"

Sentimental, he said, "I promised his grandfather."

It was the answer he had given her, hundreds of times before. She would had pushed him, only to receive the repetitive response over and over, before leaving the room in a fury. This time had to be different. "Why?" She needed to expand with that. "Why his grandfather? Why not the Duke's son of Windfall Island? Why not a proper consort who has been trained from birth to be king and why him who has learned nothing?"

"There are makings to a good ruler that cannot be taught, dearest." Different, this was different, which meant this was good. Eyes wide, Zelda leaned closer into her father who carried on, "I will not say that the next leaders shall be selected in the same way Link Forria has, but there is humility and heart that your consort candidates did not possess." A pause followed, but Zelda could predict his next words. "Yet Link Forria does." Calling it, his daughter emitted a low scoff and he rumbled with laughter. "I believe even he is not aware of it."

Princess Zelda plopped her head onto her father's shoulder and focused onto the battlefield, still empty. However, the moment she wondered when it was to begin, her husband was the first to appear from a wall exit. Her steely stare stayed on him as she asked, "That is significant because?"

In these close quarters, it was exceptionally emphasized that her father knew much more than she did when he whispered, "Princess, _watch_."

**.**

The pairs were splitting off from everyone else in different directions, but they knew it was key not to stray too far from their captain. Link made it easy for them by heading straight ahead, Bubby by his side. He could not help them, however, in the geography of the field.

For the most part, there was always a leveled ground, which greeted Link's team when they were released. Several meters ahead was a forest-like area and everyone got the clue to run straight into it since Link had called for a defensive approach. But beyond plains and forests, there could be wild cards thrown into the terrain and Link did not know the pattern for it. However, he did advise the team to tread carefully and remember the layout as that can harm your rivals and help yourself.

Still, there was no member in Link's line of sight other than his partner who questioned, "Should I go ahead of Captain?"

"Yeah." His helmeted head bobbed. "Tell me when we're running out of forest."

Muffled, the announcers were calling out their predictions, and it was information that Link did not need. There was usually a few minutes of what Link thought was 'the silence' as both teams are attempting to reach their rival's territory. But since Captain Forria called for the defense, his members were to stay on their side and find ground fit to their advantage. His rival could be doing the same, however with newbies, there was a higher chance that their plan was to eliminate fighters and fast.

Bubby was slowing down so Link said, "We running out?"

"Naw, Captain," he huffed, all two hundred and fifty pounds of him, "Field's longer than I'd expected."

Running just enough to close their gap, Link advised, "We can slow down." They did so, Bubby groaning in relief. As he huffed and puffed, the captain sacrificed a quick glance to the left, remarking, "It's weird. By now, you'd think—"

"_There it is!_"

The announcers' combined exclamation was magnified enough that even Link heard it. Both he and Bubby were totally on the defensive now that Purd declared a collision between Veil Falls and Castle Central. It appeared that the sword fighting occurred to Link's left which meant he headed right with Bubby on his heel.

"Whose it, Captain?" yelled Bubby, trying to run ahead.

Since he was the only one, Link flipped his forearm so that the underside was shown. Upon that armor, the captain could keep track of their 'living' members and those in combat, which were blinking like the turning signal of a car. His eyes off his arm, he shouted back, "Radensky and Clint."

A deep-bellied groan erupted from Bubby. Link knew. It probably wasn't the best fight if it involved Link's youngest pair, however these two fought the best with each other, and Link wouldn't dare to separate them based on age. Still, he worried over them and immediately turned on his heel to part his mouth, but then—

"Bubby!" he shouted, his sword arm striking at his opponent, several of them it appeared, "find G1!"

In any other situation, the heavyweight fighter would be protecting his captain, but he roared his acknowledgement and stomped off to the left. Of the four attempting to overwhelm the captain, one ran off to follow Bubby and left his three teammates to Link. He hoped that the Veil Fall's captain would be facing it off with himself, however with the way his rivals were cutting at him simultaneously, Link concurred their captain was absent.

_Not too bad_, Link thought and threw his weight into his shield bash, successfully forcing one fighter into colliding with his teammate, _but I gotta go._

While they were picking themselves up, Link chose that moment to escape and headed further to the left. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps behind him, but Link knew he just had to run when he had it pretty much figured out. Veil Falls' strategy was more than likely that their captain sent two groups of four to face their rivals' smaller groups, in which they were predicted correctly. Their captain must be dormant on their territory, orchestrating the whole thing with an O-Rider giving him the intel updates.

If Link was completely engrossed into his thinking, he would've sunk like an anchor into a stream bed. His heels dug into the dirt as he halted before the body of water. Quickly, he eyed his obstacle—not too wide to swim across, but the water was rushing pretty fast so it was hard to see how deep it was—and came to a conclusion to fight.

Just on time, his three chasers also halted before him and formed to his left, right, and in front. _Smart_, Link thought just as the one on his left attacked first, surprisingly meeting Link's shield. Immediately, the one to the right swung a vertical strike, however Link easily blocked with his shield again, and met the opponent before him with his sword. The force of Link's sword arm was enough that the face-front fighter clamped his shield hand upon his sword hand, calming the reverberations of Link's strike.

This time, righty and lefty lunged together and Link ducked with his shield above him. That action turned out to be the best idea when the two fighters missed him by a margin and would've attacked his backside. However, it appeared they overestimated their jumps when they landed and lay about in the stream with their arms outward and dripping water.

This was great news to Link who straightaway waded through the waist-level water. Behind him were the sloshing of the three who had a bigger gap between them and their contending captain. After pulling himself out of the stream, there was a sluggishness to Link's sprint, thanks to the weird feeling of rushing water through his legs, but he did his best to ignore it. His plan was to lose them by twisting and turning through the trees, but wherever he went, a trail of water was there to betray him.

Groaning, Link was thinking of just facing them again when he saw silver in his peripheral vision.

Instinctively, the captain twisted his body around so that his shield struck with the newcomer's sword. Now this guy was new to Link, but he could take a stab (literally) that his opponent was the Veil Falls' O-Rider. Why he was sent to face off Link, he had some idea, but it was probably just to eliminate the Castle Central's captain.

His teeth gritted together, Link breathed evenly as he kept his back to a tree. Four fighters were circling around him, the O-Rider attempting to trip him up. Because they weren't making the first strike, there was no choice but for Link to switch his stance. Moments passed, before Link tightened his hold on his sword and leapt with a jump strike. A miss, but it was a surprise that he chose to attack the fighter before him. This left his back open, to the realization of Veil Falls. However Link predicted this and re-gripped his sword as he spun his weapon in a full circle.

Unfortunately, no one had gotten too close to Link to be eliminated.

They were on the defensive now so shields were up. This was funny to Link how they tiptoed around him as though they were tamers who wielded chains and he was the incontrollable beast. Still, they were smarter than tamers, attempting to understand his sword fighting pattern before they could return to the offensive.

It was best then for Link to just strike however way he wanted to then, purposely instigating them by striking diagonally towards their chest. That was where the most points lay, within the hearts of their armor, and after watching him strike again and again for those revered ten points, the Veil Falls fighters came to the same conclusion that Link was intent on reaping the most of their lives. Which would be fruitless against four fighters, therefore Veil Falls thought the captain was to fall in due time. He was impressive with protecting his weakest links, however there was the odd moment where it would be perfect to strike and the fighter to the left found it, his eyes glittering behind his helmet, as he could just take this captain's life of ten points just there, just now, just strike—

_CLANG. _

"Number 49 is out. Number 49 is out." Everywhere, a stillness surrounded both lots as there was the declaration for the first fighter eliminated. It was strange to Link how everyone froze and tipped their heads toward the skies, the spotty sunlight reflecting off their helmets. His blood rushing in his ears, Link exhaled unevenly and looked at one fighter who had removed his helmet and pressed it to his lightless, numberless armor. "4 points to Castle Central Academy."

Then both Purd's and Lowe's animated voices filled the stadium. Another moment passed before Link returned to reality where three Veil Fall fighters remained and two Castle Central fighters had joined.

Those taking his left and right, Link shouted their names in relief, "Percy! Jagar!"

"Did'ya see that, Captain?!" Percy crowed and swung his sword nimbly. "They didn't suspect a thing when I got that 49-er's!"

"Great work!" praised Link, and if they weren't wearing helmets, he'd ruffle Percy's bright red mop. "Keep it up!"

This was much easier now than it was three to three. Link instructed Percy and Jagar to stand back as the fighters before them briefly consoled the 49 fighter. No one wanted to be the first fighter eliminated, but it had to happen. After seeing their eliminated teammate walking off, Veil Falls rushed into the fight, fittingly intended for their fallen's vengeance.

The first slash was intended for Percy, but his sword easily blocked. It wasn't in Veil Falls' advantage if they were attacking with only rage fueling their blades, but Link wasn't going to tell them that. They were much more open that they thought, although slightly more weight into their strikes, and that didn't help them in the least when Jagar stepped aside from full-front vertical slash, before swiveling around to slip his sword between his opponent's sword and shield.

"Number 29 is out. Number 29 is out." Percy and Link hooted for Jagar's strike and were careful to avoid the attacks from the remaining two. "8 points to Castle Central Academy."

Veil Falls were realizing their mistakes now and shifted to the defensive stance as their third member headed to the border. Speaking of, Link stepped back to allow Jagar to take on his opponent. A quick glance back, the captain realized aloud, "Guys, push them forward!" The two did so, placing more weight into their swords and shields. As they were successfully forcing them back, two armored figures popped out from the trees and everyone raised their shields, except Link. "G4!" That pair consisted of Henry and Darek, the latter who immediately joined Percy and Jagar against the two Veil Falls fighters. Then with Henry, he already knew to follow after Link who was dying to check out how the other side was doing. It appeared that the other side was more clustered together with trees, so as Link forcefully cut down intrusive branches, he looked back to Henry and said, "Do you think you can hurry—"

"Number 02 is out."

His sword hand tightening, Link muttered, "Shi—shoot."

"Number 02 is out. 6 points to Veil Falls High."

There wasn't even a moment for Link to congratulate his fallen comrade through telepathy, before another announcement interrupted, "Number 08 is out. Number 08 is out. 6 points to Castle Central Academy."

"Captain!" called Henry, who had now strapped his sword and shield to his back. Teeth gritted, Link turned back to his subordinate who was now heaving himself into the trees. From upon a sturdy branch, he squinted into the distance and shouted, "I think I can see them! Or at least those VF losers!" A gloved hand was offered to Link. "Let's try going through the trees?"

The open-minded captain he was, Link immediately sheathed his sword and shield to accept Henry's offer and was lifted onto his branch. It appeared that the trees were well-suited for an alternate path as they climbed or hopped their way from tree to tree and reached within hearing distance of the fighting.

There was Bubby who apparently could not reach G1 as half of G2 struggled to keep his life, even with Bubby's help. Link had to give it to him and Radensky who were playing a rather tough defense with four fighters surrounding them. However, both were more than average with their defensive skills and were probably praying all the while that G1 came to their rescue.

"Ssshhh." Henry gave a shocked _I-wasn't-even-talking_ look from beneath his helmet as Link held out his arm and whispered, "I want you to get that one."

The captain's pointer finger was directed toward Number 68, who was several seconds away from eliminating Radensky. In actuality, that certain fighter was a few seconds away when the second year was distracted by another fighter and turned his back briefly, but brief was all Number 68 needed.

"Number 09 is out." In that moment, just as a grin was crossing the 68-er's masked face, Link shoved Henry out with his sword unsheathed. There was an effective _clang_, before the announcement became a tad faster, "Number 09 is out. 8 points to Veil Falls High. In addition, number 68 is out. Number 68 is out." Now, the three Veil Falls fighters noticed Henry who barely dove out the way for Link's jump down. "8 points to Castle Central Academy."

As Link patted Radensky's back on his way out, Bubby and Henry worked much better as the O-Riders. Even though there were three, Link knew he could leave the pair to fend for themselves so that he'd find some semblance of G1, but just for insurance, he sacrificed a few minutes to fight.

Blades were flying in Link's vision and most of them toward Bubby's as Link could notice. It appeared after fighting the heavyweight rival for a while, Veil Falls wanted him out first. But Henry and Link took their places beside him, and were vigilant to protect him, along with their own behinds. To his left, the captain asked, "How're they?"

Clashing his sword downward, he grunted, "Like to switch a'lot! Careful." Switching between defensive and offensive, and quite often, was a skill that Link wished his whole team could learn, but to deal against that type of skill was something they'd practiced before. It was also something Link wasn't terribly worried about when Bubby and Henry were his two players most comfortable with switching stances. They were able to capture the attention of all three members of Veil Falls and they held up their shields in time to their opponents' swords, Bubby's taking the brunt of it. "Captain, got'em!"

Hearing that, the aforementioned leader saluted them as he inched away for one moment and was running the next. Only a few seconds into leaving them, Link perked up to hear, "Number 26 is out. Number 26 is out." His shield-arm lowered in a fist pump. "8 points to Castle Central Academy." But just as Link looked down to check the underside of his sword arm, he also heard, "Number 06 is out. Number 06 is out. 6 points to Veil Falls High."

"At least Perce got a guy," Link talked to himself, shrugging at the giant X over Percy's number. Eyes fixating, Link furrowed his forehead when his problematic pair was G1, who was supposed to have covered G2 some time ago. G1 were pretty quick on their feet so something must've happened to them, Link was thinking, but their numbers were bright and unblinking, meaning alive and not doing shit. If he could, he would've scratched his hair impatiently, but he asked aloud, "Where in Hyrule is Rik and Indy…?"

"Number—" Lightning-fast, Link glanced down at his arm and blew a breath. "—94 is out. Number 94 is out. 10 points to Castle Central Academy."

His sprint decelerating to a speed-walk, Link returned his armored arm to his side and looked around quickly. Aloud, he reasoned to himself, "I should be getting close to the barrier but there's no sign of them… I guess they could've run to enemy territory, but that wasn't part of the plan—what the—"

"Ow_—fuck!_"

It was hard to believe, for the captain really, that he found G1 in what appeared to be a random trench in the forest. But then he noticed that this environment was encompassed with darkness and on the other side of the trench was shrubs and bushes everywhere. G1 left their trail where there was a gaping opening in one bush and then they must've _not_ watched their step when beneath was a rather deep hole.

"G1," greeted Link, his foot slightly lifting off his teammate's fingers. The commentary outside the battlefield wasn't bothering Link as it was mostly background noise, but he could hear the laughter spattering in the crowds. "Don't tell me you've been here the whole time?"

Upon the shoulders of his pair partner, Indigo snickered, "Yes, Captain."

"Will you please climb up already?" Below, there was a slight impatience in Rikken's usually inaudible voice, but when facing his captain, he said, "Captain, I apologize, we weren't paying attention to where we were going, and—"

Immediately, Indigo was pulled up then Rikken as well. Motioning them to unsheathe their swords, their captain grinned from underneath his helmet. "There's not much time, you guys." From the other side of the trench, there was a red lighted line from the left and right creeping towards them. It was a little frightening to look at, but the barrier would do no harm to the fighters, other than eliminate them. Already rushing them, Link told G1, "You could've been out-of-bounds and gave easy 8 points to Veil Falls."

"Woops" and "I apologize, Captain" sounded from either side of Link, and he shook his head, forgiving them. He needed these two to get in on the action, and fast. While G1 was slightly ahead to check their surroundings more carefully, Link referred to the map in his head and his teammates upon his arm; Bubby and Henry were still blinking, therefore they were engaged with the two members. On the other side, Jagar and Darek should be able to take on two, so Link could switch G1 to fight the O-Riders' fight while the O-Riders follow him to find Veil Falls'—

"Number 11 is out. Number 11 is out."

His whispery voice close, Rikken recognized, "Is that not Jagar?"

"8 points to Veil Falls High."

"It's him," sighed the captain, lowering his arm.

"The frickle frackle?" giggled Indigo, swinging his sword in arcs. "You gotta be good, like real good, if you're gonna land 8 on Defense-Master Jag-Man!"

His sword-arm in Rikken's grip, Indigo flapped his shield-arm instead as his partner spoke, "Did you make that up right now?"

"Maybe no, more likely—"

Link stopped suddenly, and his teammates were paying attention to also stop. It appeared their captain's eyes—somewhere in that helmet, but his head was tilted toward his arm—were glued to the captain's arm-log-thing and as the two looked down at their captain's arm, they were also equally shocked.

"Number 98 is out. Number 98 is out."

Link gasped. "He's there."

"10 points to Veil Falls High."

As Captain Forria was running the fastest Indigo had ever seen him, he yelled, "Whose there?"

Right beside his partner, Rikken sighed and replied, "Their captain!"

Not even a moment later, the three were passing Bubby and Henry who didn't appear to get anywhere with their two opponents, and with vice versa, so Link commanded, "Switch!" before G1 hopped before the swishing swords of Veil Falls and the O-Riders were scurrying behind their captain.

"Is Darek out?" gasped Henry, having slight trouble keeping up with Link.

Bubby was also having trouble, which Link couldn't blame him for after fighting the longest, so the captain went for a jog instead. "Yep, he's out," he affirmed and tightened his sword-grip. The O-Riders dissolved into groans, but ceased that to listen to their captain give his instructions, "So you guys have to stay on guard when I face their captain, alright? He's got one other member with him, but you two can keep him busy."

They responded with thumbs-ups. Nodding at that, Link then kept his eyes forward and knew if he could eliminate their captain, then this battle was in the bag. There could be some possible complications, but for the most part, Link wasn't excepting much else. Which was a bad move on his part when he heard the distinctive metal-on-metal screech beside him.

"Number 04 is out. Number 04 is out." A numberless fighter was among them, and Link looked up into the disguised eyes of his competitor. Teeth gritting, Link swept an arm for Henry who sheepishly waved farewell, before he ran toward the border. "8 points to Veil Falls High."

Underneath his armor, his light shirt was sticking to both his sweaty chest and back. Attempting to ignore the sudden feeling, Link raised his sword and shield along with a verbal greeting, "Hey."

"Hey," repeated the Veil Falls Captain, before immediately diving in.

When it comes to captains, Link had a thing for always thinking they were better than him. It was a strange method, his members would say, but it worked for Link. His train of thought made sense when he explained that it bettered himself. When their sword sliced far harder than he could, Link would reason why their slices are harder, where did that extra force came from? When their turns were much smoother and left no openings, Link would reason why their turns were like that, how could he turn like that? After match after match of being paired against the school's sword fighting captains, Link had a point to find their strength and make it his own.

This intimidated them, it really did this simple method, and after the Veil Falls Captain showed how adaptable and fast he was with his offensive and defensive skills, Link noted that he really needed to work his team with defeating this strategy.

"Number 34 is out. Number 34 is out. 6 points to Castle Central Academy."

Hearing that, Veil Falls Captain slowed, just a millisecond, as his opponent moved like he was mocking him. No, eyebrows scrunched together, the captain realized it wasn't to mock, but to mirror. The Castle Central captain had met his sword with the intention to defend, but then he jabbed his blade in a very familiar fashion. Just as Captain Forria did, the Veil Falls captain blocked with his shield, however it was unbelievable that he not only returned to the defensive, but gave the appearance of it.

In reality, his sword was within in a well-handled fist that was sly enough to swipe at his opponent's shield. It flew off the captain's arm and Link stepped back, content to hear, "Number 88's shield is off. 1 point deduction from Veil Falls High."

This made it harder to switch between offense and defense, but the Veil Falls captain was well aware with how to solely use his sword to defend. Gripping tightly at that, the captain rolled his head back as he was prepared to take out Link in the final minutes of this battle. He would've chosen the next moment to begin if he had not heard, "Number 12 is out. Number 12 is out."

"It's yours," piped Link without looking at his arm.

"I know," the Veil Falls captain replied, cool and calm, as the announcer called, "6 points to Castle Central." Then, for a moment, he tilted his head in the direction of where Link left G1. "Number 16 is out. Number 16 is out."

It was strange, but Link chuckled a bit when his opponent said, "And that's yours."

After declaring 4 points to his school, Link instigated the first move. A diagonal strike there, then another, and a shield bash along with a jump strike. The other captain done well to defend with just his sword, especially the jump strike, however he was forced to the ground with the force of that jump. Gravity was pushing him down when he strained to return onto his feet, but Link further shoved him into the dirt with their swords screeching between them.

"Number 91 is out. Number 91 is out." Immediately, Link leapt away from the Veil Falls captain when his subordinate attempted to attack him, but only to free his captain. Without looking back, Captain Forria waved a fist at Bubby, who was retreating to the border. "4 points to Veil Falls."

All three were clearly wracked with fatigue but it was Link who looked worse for wear. He was the one who had been running around the field, occasionally fighting at times, along with planning with who goes where, and the responsibilities of strategizing this game was cramping his shoulders and his thighs. Regardless, there was minimal sympathy toward their competitor as the Veil Falls captain and teammate rushed with their swords pointed.

At this point, not only was Link becoming dead-weary, but everything was starting to hurt. Of course, the cramping, but there the earlier fights were taking their toll on him as some fighters did strike hard, as in really _really_ hard, and he felt it. Such as now when his opponent's subordinate jabbed toward his chest and if Link was paying more attention to the pain, his life would've cost 8 points. Again, his opponent slashed, but with all the strength in his sword arm, which Link sluggishly, but successfully, retaliated with a back slash.

"Number 79 is out. Number 79 is out." Tossing his sword, the eliminated groaned aloud in frustration but his captain shooed him off. "8 points to Castle Central Academy."

The 79-er's attack had its intended effect, further tiring Link out. The other captain had only jumped in the last half of the game, therefore he wasn't worn out as Link, and that really bombed for him. Honestly, Link didn't intend to run as much as he did this match, and he was muttering under his breath as he strapped his shield onto his back, clutching his blade with both hands.

The Veil Falls Captain was curious now that they were on the same page with one sword, but he believed that that would play to his advantage.

As he more so poked, rather than plunge, his sword into Link's side, he knew his opponent would dodge, but it was more a dazed response, and he taunted, "Tired, aren't you?" As much as Captain Forria wanted to groan in agreement, he was silent with his attacks returning to the other captain. "You can rest easy if you quit now. I wouldn't blame you after all that unnecessary distance you covered. I didn't know the captains were supposed to waste their breath as much as you did." Silent still, except the metallic squeals of blades brushing up against another. Still, Link's exhaustion showed through his slackened movements. "Why don't you give up now, Captain Forria? It's not like you're anywhere near taking my life away."

The Veil Falls captain was right, Link had to admit. "Yeah, I get it." Their swords returning to their sides, the confronting captains were like mirror images. "You're right, your life isn't mine to take," acknowledged Link, although his rival could not see it, his whole body gave up, collapsing straight-up, and his eyes lit up at Rikken's silent strike—

"Number 88 is out. Number 88 is out. 10 points to Castle Central Academy." Like music to his ears, there was a high-pitched horn that sent Link's whole body shivering with satisfaction. This was it. This was the moment Link and his team had been fighting for. "That signals the end of this match. The winner of the Quarter Finals Battle 4 is Castle Central Academy of the Arts and Athletics with 74 points."

**.**

**9:57 PM. Ciela:** _**Captain Link Forria led his team to victory! Call him His Highness, Prince Link the Sword Master who will be participating in Hyrule Nationals Sword Fighting Semi-Finals! Read **_**here**_**… **_

**9:58 PM. Ciela: Sleeping? You deserve a well-earned rest, Link!**

**10:01 PM. Navi: Link go login and search #bossassprince it's super funny! **

**10:01 PM. Navi: C, I'm reading that article rn!**

**10:02 PM. Proxi: I'm reading it with N! Link, you're on like every channel now and I swear it's "His Highness this" and "His Highness that"! Has anyone told you the camera loves TO TALK about you?**

**10:03 PM. Ciela: ^^^^ Agreed. Just watched a debate where they analyzed every second of that game and pretty much came to the conclusion that you'll be a fantastic prince.**

**10:07 PM. Tatl: git off my feed captain tardiness im sick of seeing ur ugly mug.**

**10:07 PM. Tatl: u kno all these losers are kissing your ass**

**10:07 PM. Tatl: its like they just got the news that youre kinda good at what youre majoring at school so where? have? they? been? ? **

**10:08 PM. Navi: Aaaaww**

**10:08 PM. Ciela: Aaaaaawww**

**10:08 PM. Proxi: Aaaaaaaaawwwww**

**10:10 PM. Tatl: news flash i have eyes **

**10:33 PM. Link: Thanks I'm kinda sore all over and sleepy so I'll check those out in the morning**

**10:35 PM. Link: I am pretty awesome, aren't I?**

**.**

There was a high to the praise and the pride-pampering, high enough that couldn't bring Link back to ground. All he felt was an odd pleasant numbness in his face as the back of his head rested against the cool locker wall and he was seated on the same exact bench as in before the quarterfinals. Briefly, Link wondered if this lack of feeling was due to the "that good" as Jagar had suggested to him, however the captain had checked his lockers. No, he was clean, although probably not after they won the semifinals.

Wow. Link chuckled to himself. Already, he was radiating a sense of achievement at the thought of taking place in the final two.

"Captain?" Lifting the damp towel off his face, he was staring across at nine of his teammates. The speaker was the only first-year, Clint, who elaborated, "Captain, we're gonna be up against East Fields… Are we on defensive again?"

East Hyrulean Fields were known for their insane offensive barrages that did win their way into the final four, however Link knew there was a strategy around it.

"We're playing fire with fire," answered Link, tossing his towel into the locker and clutching his helmet. "We're going as groups of four. Rangers, be on alert, but I want Garriers to be on your toes. East Fields is great at breaking defenses so I want to see those shields on you, stronger than glue."

"Understood!"

Just in time, a doorway lifted from the side of the lockers, revealing a dimly lit hallway. Just like last time, the team went on ahead, chattering excitedly, however if their nerves were getting to them, it wasn't quite as obvious as last time. At the end of the line, their captain was tilting his head skyward with his hands folded behind him.

"Please Goddesses," he muttered, grinding his eyes shut and blindly following his teammates, "I gotta make it into finals. Everyone's watching. Like, I know they were watching last time but this time, literally everyone is watching me. This could be big news. You know, Sweet Farore, I gotta win, I have to win, I'll do anyth—"

"Captain?" A hand bumped his shoulder back and Link blinked down at Percy. "Careful, Captain. You almost ran me over."

He was right since Percy was somewhat shorter than the others, however Link laughed an apology and ruffled his red mop. The redhead was only two years younger than Link, and did not feel patronized for the hair ruffling, because it was Link. He was the team's biggest brother and they felt close enough to him that they could go to Link for anything. Although, as Percy raked his hair back in style, he thought there was something off with a little off with him, something different about him than the last battle.

This battle was the second and last of the semifinals as earlier that day was the first semifinals. As the team loitered around the same hallway lobby as last time, a handful of fighters were paying attention to the television. Again, Purd and Lowe were announcing and they recapped that the first semifinal battle was pretty anticlimactic as most of Hyrule placed their bets on Kakariko Hills High School's victory. The expectations for Link's battle was just as similar as he had seen the polls, that he was expected to reign victorious.

Not to sound too cocky, but Link expected it too. East Fields were just a bunch of lazy bunches of brawn whose main goal was to attack, attack, attack. Even blindfolded, his team could figure out that wearing them out would work the best before going in for an easy 10-point kill.

Or that was just what Link thought.

"We will now begin our five-minute countdown until the Semifinals Battle 2!" Already, the team stepped back as the wall grinded and whirred to reveal their weapon set. Still, conversations carried on casually as they strapped their shields to their arms, accustomed to the weight of their broadswords, and donned their helmets. "Hold onto your seats folk, cause this will be the second-to-last battle before announcing the winner!"

"Guys," started Link. Of course, they stopped talking at once, like they never did in class, and all rested their inquisitive stares upon their captain. With his shield arm, he rubbed his nape and sighed. "Guys, I know everything looks like it's in our favor, but you can never be too careful, alright?" They responded with nods and small hums of acknowledgement. "Let's play a good game." This time, their response was much more boisterous as they whooped and yelled as though they've already won. "Great. In groups of 4, everyone."

In this battle, Link sorted his youngest pair, Radensky and Clint, with the elder edgier partners consisting of Indigo and Rikken. Going the other way was decided as Percy, Jagar, Bubby, and Henry while Darek tailed after them inconspicuously and Link for the other.

Nonchalant, they resumed their conversations until the announcer declared, "Five seconds until battle begins." All decisively silent, they faced the end of the hallway where it was long gone and the battlefield awaited them. His breathing loud in his ears, Link swore his eyes closed for just a moment, puzzled at the scene ahead of an upward hill, before his teammates were gone. His gloved hand shielded his squinted stare as he spotted his members disappearing over the hill. Only Darek could afford to jog beside him.

"Captain? You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah." The sunlight getting in his eyes, Link shook his head. "It's just nerves."

"You want me to go after the young'uns?"

He laughed at that. "Nah, I trust them. You go on ahead."

"Is that an order?"

"Just go, man!"

With that, his co-captain waved his sword arm, before also vanishing down the hill, leaving Link was alone and atop. The silence should be occurring, therefore he wasn't too worried. Up there, the view was pretty great. It would've been better if there wasn't just trees from below and it kinda looked like the trees weren't actually regular forests, Link realized, but more so of a jungle.

_Shoot, _thought Link, suddenly running for it, _I think trouble starts early. _

He was right. It wasn't just clean fresh ground and trees, but all these annoying plants. The ones with leaves the sizes of human bodies, which were a nightmare to hack away and just about blocked inches in front of you. It didn't help a muggy fog appeared from nowhere that instantly caused a thin sheen of sweat to form upon his whole body, sticking to his light clothing underneath. And the ground wasn't beautiful pure dirt, but watery nasty dirt that clung to his boots in clumps and weighed down fighters in the most annoying way. Honestly, Link wished his team found good ground with a good climate, but that was probably not when he remembered that the hill was just about surrounded with this type of wilderness.

"Shoot," he cursed out and swatted a huge leaf out of the way, almost whacking himself with it, "I gotta find the guys."

"Number 06 is out. Number 06 is out."

A gasp, but then he clamped his hand over his mouth. It was a jungle, but it smelled like the most neglected of sewers.

"6 points to East Hyrulean Fields High."

"Already?!" cried Link and distraught tore at him that he shot forward with no care to the asshole leaves.

It suddenly occurred to him that he could continuously use his shield bash to force his way through the abundance of overgrown leaves. There was a chance that East Fields could find him through his destructive path, but at this point, Link just wanted to keep tabs on his group and prayed that Darek swooped in. The co-captain was pretty good with navigation, however it wasn't the captain's strongest suit and that lack of skill really showed as he suddenly stopped, bumping into someone.

"Captain?" It was homeboy himself. Forcing Link to hide behind a random rock formation, he whispered, "Captain, aren't you supposed to be with the…?"

The captain wanted to cry. "I'm lost, dude."

He could tell. "This type of terrain wasn't your forte anyway. But, Captain, I suggest you count to sixty while retracing your steps backwards and when—" His directions were cut off by a rather sharp screech of blades in battle. Really, Link knew there was a fight going on, however he didn't expect to reach the wrong one as he heard the continuous clanging of swords. The battle was nearing them. As he further pushed Link in the direction away from the conflict, Darek instructed quickly, "When you reach zero, turn sharply to the left, and you should run into them soon enough."

"Thanks." Peering over the co-capt's shoulder, the captain raised his shield between them and whispered, "How're they doing?"

It always a sight to see his teammate come to a rise, their sword and shield at their sides. A sort of power moral boosting to see them ready to throw themselves into the fray. But then the co-captain shook his head, his white ponytail wavering from underneath his helmet, before confessing, "We're three and they got two more on us. I bet the last five are headed your way." With that, Darek peered around and nodded at Link. "I think I got a good shot so you better hurry."

After patting his shoulder armor in gratitude, Link tore away with a countdown of sixty. Of course, he had to be extra cautious to make as little noise as possible as Darek's ambush counted on his inaudible exit. Looking back, Link figured he was quiet enough when several feet away, the co-captain remained in his hidden position and Link could tell the adrenaline was kicking in when all he'd done was watch. Watching was good when it was the best method for intel gathering. Therefore, Darek's group was in good hands. The problem was the group that Link had left ahead and he could only pray that his opponents would not reach them first.

"Three, two, one," whispered Link, almost panting now. This felt almost as worse as the last battle where there was a lot more running involved, but the climate here was absolutely abysmal and Link wanted nothing more than to strip his armor and his clothes and just die in the cool mud. For now, he just had to turn left and ignore the amount of perspiration building and burdening his body. "Where are they…?"

"Number 51 is out. Number 51 is out." Hearing that, Link took a breather and rested his damp palms on his knees, gasping unevenly. He thought he was good with stamina, but the heat draining it out of him. "8 points to Castle Central."

Running left, he huffed, "Good—"

"Number 04 is out. Number 04 is out."

"Shoot!"

"4 points to East Hyrulean Fields High."

A sort of strangled screech was trapped in Link's throat as he clamped his lips shut. It still stunk to high heaven and it was just so humid and it was forbidden to ditch armor, which none of these helped Link at all. The only good thing was that Link was pretty sure his group was still walking around somewhere, therefore their East Field hunters were also looking for them. It must be that the field was throwing them off, and probably at a higher intensity since they were traveling in a large group, with all that muscle and meat.

But that was just Link hoping.

Practically heaving breaths from his lungs, he was pretty sure he had run out of left when the barrier light was in the distance. A string of censored curses spilled from his tongue, before he swiveled on mud-covered heels, and followed back his footprints. His patience running thin, Link did the one thing he told his teammates not to do.

"Number 86's shield is off. 1 point deduction from Castle Central Academy."

Link knew, he just knew, that his teammates were telepathically yelling at him for doing that, but he was capable of dodging the slow strong strikes of East Field fighters', although one miss and he'd be eliminated along with a nasty bruise.

But now that his shield was ditched, Link's load was noticeably lighter and that meant there was a chance that he wasn't going to die of exhaustion. This was good, even though his team would've liked to argue otherwise. Another good news was that after several moments of retracing his steps for the second time, the goddesses answered his prayers.

It was whispering at first, but it consisted of voices Link recognized. At once, Link halted in his tracks and so did the owners of the voices.

"Did you hear that?"

"You think it's Captain?"

"I thought he died."

"Don't say that!" Of course, Rik would come to his side, Link thought with a smirk. "It's probably for our own good that he ran off, although I don't have reason for why… I hope he comes back."

"You know we're supposed to be the more experienced pair and you're scared our captain won't come back?"

At that moment, Link snickered and debated showing himself since they pretty much knew it was him. After listening in their conversation for moment later, he decided it wouldn't hurt to.

Just as he pushed past ginormous palm leaves, Link instantly closed them together when he heard another thing. It wasn't just that his team were suddenly quiet and their shields were raised, just as their captain instructed. The sound was that of a collecting marching as though the ground wasn't the sloshing of more liquid than dirt, but as continuous thuds of heavy boots upon hard rock. That was near impossible, Link was thinking, but he remained hidden and even climbed atop a real rock. His hiding place was luckily camouflaged by an annoying layer of ivy-like leaves and he peered to see. This group was smart to lower themselves and sneak behind something, anything at all.

As for their opponent, the five East Fields fighter came into Link's view. They were wielding much larger swords and shields appropriate for their heavyweight class. However, sword fighting wasn't the matter of ridding a man of his sword, but ridding a man of his life.

How to do that, Link thanked the goddesses that it was by striking their armor, which East Fields were covered in.

"Number 91 is out. Number 91 is out."

His gloved fingers tapping his mouth, Link shook his head. "Oh, Bubby."

"4 points to East Hyruleans Fields High.

But now that East Fields were temporarily distracted from hearing their team's win, Link's group of four instantly appeared and attacked.

"Number 32 is out. Number 32 is out." A celebratory fist pump was made for Indigo who had claimed a life, but was immediately dancing around his next opponent. "8 points to Castle Central Academy."

Now it was getting to the good part as both groups were facing it off. The audience's crowing for further conflict was muffled from within the battlefield, however Link knew they were shouting for his involvement. Regardless, he didn't let them pressure them. Ambushing was a rare chance to be on the offensive when East Fields always forced their rivals on the defensive. Link knew diving into the battle as of now was just the same as writing on your forehead, "Free points!" In addition, the first two eliminations from Link's team were ambushes and that had earned them 8 points each. Even with one more member out of the game, Link reasoned, his team was ahead with 16 points as East Fields were striking everyone just to get them out, amounting to a pretty okay 14 points.

"Pay attention," he reminded himself and slapped his metal cheek. "You gotta find an opening."

Just as Darek did, Link watched his group. They were pretty neat in action. Pride was all that their captain could feel, swelling in his chest. They were sharp-witted when it came to the defensive, including the Rangers as well, as their choice with the shield, sword, or dodging worked out well when it came to their opponent's each attack. There wasn't much chance to claim their opponents' lives since Link predicted that they were full of vigor. Of course, all they wanted was to eliminate faster and fastest. His fist holding his chin, Link wondered if he should just wait out their stamina dropping and then make it easy pickings for his teammate.

But then, the captain shot up as he heard—

Out of nowhere, their captain (which Link was aware to be among this group) roared something to his East Field fighters that suddenly caused them to grunt, heave, and shove—

In particular, Link froze as he watched Clint's figure hesitate for just a moment, but a moment was everything in this game, and Clint blocked with his shield like the obedient fighter he was. The way his opponent struck was odd as it appeared down-to-up, but veered sharply as a diagonal strike. That way, Clint held onto his shield as best as he could, and that sent him upward and also out of the way.

The captain's mouth was opened, but no sound came out as when Clint landed, along with a painful '_pop'_.

"Clint!" yelled his partner who chose to dodge the odd attack. As he evened the score with his own diagonal strike, Radensky called back, "Hold on!"

Eyes grinded shut, the poor first-year tilted his head to the sky, hissing all the while, his sword arm shakily resting on his shoulder. There was something obviously odd about his shoulder, everyone knew, and Link knew Radensky was occupied, therefore he was immediate to Clint's aid. Gentle, Link grasped his sword arm, lifting it off his shoulder, and quickly set it back down. The injured was huffing now as his captain removed his helmet and looked into his subordinate's pallid expression, dotting with sudden perspiration.

His sword arm visibly shaking, he turned and faced his opponent. "It's dislocated. Stay back."

Pained, Clint gritted his teeth and gasped, "Captain."

"Don't make your shoulder worse, and listen to me."

"Captain—"

"Number 24 is out. Number 24 is out." In that moment, the rage died down along with the quivering in his arm and, stabled, Link pointed his sword towards the heart of his opponent. The one who decided it was okay to undone his teammate's shoulder, which the rules allowed it, but he did not, he lunged. "4 points to Castle Central Academy."

It also applied to Link, that fury fueling his sword would do him no good. However, his opponent had lady luck on his side when he raised his shield in time and pulled his arm back, eyes wide. Conspicuously, there was an indentation of the captain's sword dented in the metal shield. Also catching that, the East Fields members then took a step back, waiting for their captain.

He forwarded, his sword and shield down. There really wasn't time but he spoke to his equal, "Will you be playing an eye for an eye?"

His teammates growling behind him, Link replied coolly, "Wounding my fighter is uncalled for."

A cocky smirk played across his mouth, Link could tell. "It's allowed."

"Just because it is doesn't mean you should."

He roared in laughter, the other East Fields booming along. "You think you're better than us just 'cause you know what's right and wrong?" Again, vulgar laughing and Link could sense the bloodlust of his team behind him. "You're wrong. You don't know nothing, Captain Forria. You're a fool." That sounded pretty familiar, but Link would've pounced by now but the other captain added on, "And such of fools, is your wounded puppy to surrender?"

That was an insult if a sword fighter would hear one, and Clint shot to a stand and yelled, "Over my dead body!"

Funny, that was worst-case scenario, Link thought and swept his sword arm before Clint. The injured shut his mouth, but the sound of his teeth gnashing was loud enough for East Fields to hear, and laugh at. Still, Captain Forria lowered his arm to his side and responded, "He will be surrendering."

Not only Clint, but the others disagreed, "Captain, you can't!"

The East Fields captain stabbed the ground, bent over the hilt, and howled with laughter. Along with his teammates, the captain laughingly lifted his sword and pressed it to his shoulder. "You're the best, Captain Forria, the easiest losers I've fought by far. Even North Fields were smart enough to let their wounded fight, but you're too soft, too weak." Then the other East Fields members returned to their offensive stance and held their swords toward a player of Castle Central, except for Clint. "Eliminate your own pup then and let's continue?"

The condescension was a bit too cruel for Link, however he bit his own tongue as he revealed his captain's log. As he fixated on Clint's number, the wounded fighter himself tackled his captain and, with his good arm, grasped Link's armored waist.

"Go to the infirmary immediately," instructed Link quietly, his finger sliding to the 'surrender' option.

"Captain!" The first-year yanked his arm away from the captain's log. Behind his helmet, Link was wearing a reluctant frown, however he didn't want Clint to know that. "Captain, I can fight! My sword arm's alright. I can hold my sword! Let me fight! Captain, _please!_"

"Your injury can affect you for the rest of your life if you don't leave now."

"I can fight! I can still fight!"

"Clint, listen to me—"

"Captain, please believe in me! Look at me!" he cried, stifling his pained grunts as his sword sliced the air. "Look, I can fight!"

Again, the captain bit down, drawing blood into his mouth now, as he returned his fingers to the captain's log. Beside him, Clint continued to plead and yell as his other members forwarded Link. They didn't say anything, since Clint was saying it all anyway. They simply stood with their shields out and prepared to fight whenever their captain made his choice.

Their captain knew better, but just this once.

The captain's log disappearing, Link clutched his sword and charged. East Fields was prepared for this alternative as the captain ducked around Link, but his sword slid terribly close to his bulky armor. The heavyweight captain grinned, never considering to raise his shield, but blocked with his sword and swung his own weapon as well. An immediate dodge was Link's reaction, before he struck his sword, _hard_, into his opponent's blade, successfully forcing him back. He made it very clear that the East Fields captain would not be receiving an effortless 10 points by targeting his wounded player.

The odds were in Link's side after all since the players were four to five. Technically, four to four and a half because of Clint's handicap, but the first-year was enduring the pain very well. He and Radensky were off against one East Fielder with Radensky primarily defending for his pair. Honestly, Link didn't have to look back for Rikken and Indigo who each could hold their own.

Focus, Link must be focused with his fight. The other captain thrusted his weapon below Link's sword. That was a stupid move when he easily reacted by leaning left with his sword arm quickly meeting below. The collision of clanging resounded and Link forced his weight forward, attempting to overpower the much heavier captain. He was laughing to himself at first, just at the thought that the short stick-like captain would be capable of doing that, however Link was proving his intentions.

The East Fields captain was trying now, digging his heels into the mud. It was mud, Link knew, and utilized his upper body strength to shove.

Unfortunately, it wasn't his opponent who cried out, but one of his own.

"Number 02 is out. Number 02 is out." A feeling akin to being doused with ice-water enveloped the Castle Central captain. The other grunting upon the mud, Link turned on his heel and searched for him. "8 points to East Hyrulean Fields High."

"Clint?" whispered Link.

He saw Radensky who had covered Clint with all of his trembling body and faced his opponent. The opponent who had dislocated Clint's shoulder and now worsened it. Behind Radensky, Link could tell the first-year was groveling and gasping in agony. As Radensky faced it off, his captain leaned close to his fighter. Facedown, Clint struggled to breathe evenly and gripped his strangely-shaped shoulder with unstable fingers. Just hearing the whimpering up close finalized the decision for Link.

He made a terrible mistake.

"Radensky!" The aforementioned fighter stepped back as Link took his place. "Take Clint to the border!"

"Got it!" he yelled back, and did not hesitate to help Clint upon his back. The wounded was shivering now, striking Link in the gut, again and again. "I'll be back in a flash."

Because it was not allowed to attack fighters who helped the injured, both the opponent Link felt a burning hatred for, and the captain took on Link as their opponent. That was fine with Link who quelled the combination of rage and guilt, before he was steady enough to strike. Taking on an offensive stance was surprising to East Fields, but even if they didn't use it much, they knew how to defend.

However, they did not know how to defend against Link's offensive. His teammates didn't master yet, defending against the mortal draw which drew in the East Fields subordinate. After his sudden strike, the other captain rumbled with laughter.

"Number 96 is out. Number 96 is out."

"I was wrong! You're a little strong, but not enough!"

"8 points to Castle Central Academy."

The East Fields captain was the first to strike, wanting to return to the offensive. He claimed it so as Link worked with his own defensive, dodging here, striking back once, twice, and he ducked when the sword almost claimed his own shoulder.

Now that it was three to three, Link commanded for his pair to work with their captain. Back to back to back, they formed a small circle with the three East Fielders circling around them. This strategy was new and annoying to East Fields how they wanted to strike a certain rival, however another member would defend instead. Decisively, they believed their brawn wasn't for nothing as they all attacked at once with their swords set on one person. But all Link's group had to go was dodge away from the circle, before executing their back slice.

"Number 97 is out. Number 97 is out." For some reason, all East Fields did is rumble with laughter whenever their own was eliminated. It did intimidate Link if that was their intentions. "8 points to Castle Central Academy."

Unfortunately, as Link was giving Rikken a thumbs-up, the fighter was standing still in high spirits that his captain was praising him and that left him completely open.

"Number 20 is out. Number 20 is out. 6 points to East Hyrulean Fields High."

"Shoot," muttered Link but brightened to see Radensky finally returning. He had filled in to his captain that medical specialists were awaiting at the barrier and carried off an almost unconscious Clint. Feeling even worse, Link thanked the fighter before reviewing the game now. The numbers were three to two, which were in Castle Central Academy's favor. However, he spread his feet apart with his sword pointed at the other captain and suggested, "Radensky, pair with Indy."

Now that it was one-and-one again, Link pretty much fell into his own groove. The East Fields captain didn't appear to have any tricks up his sleeve, only attack, attack, attack. Of course, the types of striking differed each time, but it felt more like to Link that he was attacking in any way that he can. What must've spurned this on was probably because, Link reasoned in his head, because he actually brought a variety to his strategies and different must be dumb to him.

"Come here, you sneaky dog," snarled the East Fields, no longer laughing. Link would've preferred that, and kept that comment to himself. "Are you willing to be running away with your tail between your legs, like the dog that you are?"

"Is there something wrong with that?" scoffed Link, almost thanking his dear wife for his sarcastic attitude. "I don't think I'll be getting anywhere when all you do is swing your sword. Like a muscle-powered machine, swing, swing, swing—"

"You're dead meat."

"You wished you killed my fighter, didn't you?" snapped Link.

"And what if I did?" This was a moment to lure Link in, and the other captain took his chances, jabbing his sword toward his chest, but instead met with a metal blade. Their helmeted faces quite close, Link could hear him grumble, "Would that be enough to get you to _fight?_"

It wasn't enough to force Link back to the offensive. The flame of resentment flickered, however the captain kept his cool as he forced the other off his sword and swung.

"Number 98 is out. Number 98 is out. 4 points to East Hyrulean Fields High."

"Was that Darek?" piped up Indigo as he allowed Radensky to fight back.

Preoccupied with his own battle, Link rolled around the mud and answered, "Pay attention!"

"Got it!"

"Number 11 is out. Number 11 is out. 6 points to Castle Central Academy."

The two members shared several high-fives when Radensky succeeded with his first kill. This mean all the East Fields subordinates—on this side at least—were eliminated, leaving only the captain. However, as the two then hopped around the captain as their remaining opponent, Link checked that there were three East Fielders on the other side and only Jagar to save his own behind.

"Eliminate the captain," decided Link, his legs bent and his sword shining in the sunlight. He didn't realize the sun appeared, what with the humid fog, and Link even forgot how sticky his sweat was to his clothes. Sword fighting did that to you. "After we eliminate him, we help Jagar."

"Got it!" the two agreed and circled the captain.

It was obvious the East Fields captain wasn't going down without bringing someone with him. Though Link couldn't see, he imagined that the other captain had a demonic glower in his eyes, intent on harming his player or himself as painfully as possible, before he was down. It showed the way the lone captain charged with his shield out and ready to break someone's nose.

Unfortunately, Indigo was the type of person to get his nose screwed up. He hadn't quite dodged out of the way, therefore he was slammed against a tree trunk and held his helmet with one hand, the other still grasping his sword. Cursing obscenities under his breath, he shakily came to a stand. Both Link and Radensky glanced back to see blood dripping from inside the helmet and onto Indigo's chest armor. It was horrifying to the second-year, however Link knew East Fields still wanted to play dirty.

"Eyes here, Radensky." The subordinate listened. "Indy, how're you feeling?"

As the two engaged in combat, Indigo leaned forward and hissed, before responding, "I'm fine. My nose feels fucked up, but least my shoulder's aight. I can fight."

Hopping away from a vertical slash, Radensky glanced at Link. The captain didn't appear to react to that, but he attacked his opponent's thigh, and was met with the barrier-like shield. Stepping back, he said, "Indigo, come on."

Indigo wasn't lying that he could still fight. For the most part, his body was fit to fight with the odd bruise here and there. However the issue was with his head. He thought it was his nose, but then his head started to spin like it wanted out of this world. It was hard to see, but it turned out the shield met with his face first, therefore he toppled all by himself and the East Fields captain didn't miss that at all.

"Number 16 is out. Number 16 is out. 8 points to East Hyrulean Fields High."

"Radensky!"

"I got it!" he laughed, brushing himself out. "I don't need an escort, I can walk fine by myself."

Link didn't believe that, and was about to send Radensky again, however Indigo really could walk to the border by himself. The red barrier was closing in, therefore he and Radensky knew to flee farther away from the dangerous line, the East Fields captain close on their heels.

"Number 11 is out. Number 11 is out."

"Can't help him out anymore, right, Captain?" joked Radensky.

He just sighed.

"4 points to East Hyrulean Fields High."

Link didn't even want to imagine the fighters waiting for him on the other side. Right here, the temperature was suddenly cooler now as they hurried closer to the center. The dirt wasn't as loose and less filled with water, therefore this was the type of ground Link was searching for. The Castle Central captain was prepared to fight on this formidable terrain, however the other captain was not focusing on him.

"Radensky!" he tried to warn as his subordinate was slammed to the ground.

The momentum of the running was all that he needed. The East Fields captain had used his speed to maximize his powerful collision as his shield again harmed a Castle Central sword fighter. This had got to hurt, the other captain knew it had to break. Knowing that as well, Captain Forria struck like lightning as the other captain was swinging his shield arm back and just for the smallest of seconds, his heart was revealed for Link to steal.

"Number 66 is out. Number 66 is out." Even with his own elimination, the captain was boisterously booming and shared not another word with Link as he left. "10 points to Castle Central Academy."

The time, Link didn't know how long he had before the last three East Fielders were to appear. The time wasn't long, that's for sure. Crouching by Radensky's almost frozen figure, his captain hovered his gloved hands and questioned, "Where?"

The injured choked on a gasp of pain. "My leg. I can't move it." That was apparent. The captain noticed after taking off his calf armor, that there was a sort of deflation with Radensky's right calf. They would need a stretcher for this, Link knew and flipped his forearm. "Captain, you can't."

There was only two numbers left on Link's log, however he laughed, "No, no, no way in Hyrule I'm falling for that again."

Radensky's surrender option blinked up at Link. He saw this and begged, "There'll be three of them and two of us. We'll have a better chance, Captain. You know we can win this."

"What is it with you guys wanting to kill yourself for _this_?" chuckled Link. His helmet off, he looked away from his log, from the surrender option, and raked his damp hair back. A small chuckle emitted from him. "Oh, I get it. I'll do anything, won't I? Is this it then?" Radensky was confused that the captain was joking with himself and he tried to interrupt. "This is just—Radensky, listen to me." Not even a moment of hesitation with Captain Forria as he rose to a stand, sword and shield at his shield. He hoped Radensky felt the morale power boost-up, even though he could not fight. "Stay here. Don't move. Help's on the way."

"_Captain!_"

"Number 09 is out due to voluntary surrender. Number 09 is out due to voluntary surrender. 8 points to East Hyrulean Fields High."

"_Captain!_"

As the cries of his title were becoming more distant, Link smiled to himself. He did the right thing and that was really all that matters. _Besides_, Link thought, _didn't good people deserve good outcomes? _

**.**

They were fine.

Clint had a splint now and there weren't any long-term effects. From the way he was flirting with the female medical assistant, Link knew he was fine.

Indigo was sleeping and snoring when Link checked on him. The medical specialist said his headache was really affecting his physical state so they put him on painkillers. It was good enough to send him to dreamland, so Link knew he was fine.

Radensky was the worst as he was training how to walk with crutches. They'd already set his bones in place and fixed him up with a cast by the time Link saw him. This was all good, Radensky assured him, so Link knew he was fine.

Bubby was also in bed as he dealt with a killer blow to his abdomen. The bruise there was purplish, abnormally a dark green-blue in the center, nasty and it hurt to the touch, but Bubby only shrugged and said he would be released in a few hours. So he was fine, Link knew.

Everyone one was fine with the odd bruise and ache and cramping, they hated the cramping.

But Link? Was he fine?

As he walked away from his own check-up, he knew physically he was fine. Mentally, he felt like he died. Dying as he heard again and again—

"The winner of Semi Finals Battle 2 is East Hyrulean—"

Madly, his fingers dug into his scalp as his head turned left, right, left, right. Get out of his head! It was his fault that they didn't make the finals. His fault. It was always the captain's job to bring his team to victory, but now that he knew what loss was, it had to be that it was his fault that he brought his team to failure.

They lost, they lost, they lost—

"So what happens now?"

_Poppy_, Link thought. After all this, it would great to be able to talk to her. His wife was persistent in keeping the Gerudo girl away, but Link wasn't going to have none of that today. Just as he stepped closer to her voice, he heard, "We fight with Hylia's River Global Academy." Was that his co-captain? It made sense since Poppy and he were friends in Gerudo language class. "Because they lost the Semi Finals Battle 1 and we lost Semi Final Battle 2."

"Oh." Behind a corner, Link peeked to spy on Poppy and Darek conversing on a hallway sofa. Both seated, the girl held a canvas bag as the guy was brushing his hair, presumably after taking a long shower. Knowing he needed one as well, Link rested his back against the wall as Poppy added on, "Are the sword fighters who broke in battle, are they alright?"

"Broke?" snorted Link to himself as Darek answered calmly, "I saw them. They're doing okay, but I know they're going to recover."

"And you?"

Darek chuckled. "I'm aching, but I'm fine."

Why Link didn't choose to go over there, he didn't know. He just bumped his head against the wall and listened to someone else taking his approach, "Poppy!"

"Zelda!"

He hadn't talked to his wife in forever even after the quarter finals. Looking back at her, the princess was radiating resplendence and Link really wished he'd won so he could talk to her about how kickass he was. Instead he heard her say to Poppy, "Good thing you brought Darek here. I haven't talked to you in a long while."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I'm sorry about what happened. I was really hoping you'd win."

"I as well."

"Not your fault."

"I know, but," Zelda coughed, probably into her fist, as she tread this fragile topic, "could I ask you something?"

"I guess?"

Now, Link was watching the three as his wife asked, "Why did you lie to Link?"

_Lie? To me?_

"What about?"

_More than once?_

Princess Zelda tucked her long lock back as she said, "Before his coronation. I don't know why you had to hide that you're Poppy's defender." The aforementioned girl tried to speak up, but Zelda continued, "Doesn't he know already that you transferred from the Gerudo Desert?"

_What? No_, thought Link and rubbed his temple fervently, _Darek said he came from somewhere 'not that interesting.'_

"He doesn't know. I don't want him to."

"Why?" both girls asked, although Link thought Poppy already knew.

A long-winded sigh from Darek. "The guy's a bleeding heart." Agreeing one hundred percent, Zelda sighed as well as he added on, "If he knew about what I went through, remember, my childhood wasn't exactly what you'd call a childhood."

The Hyrulean princess was quiet.

"I don't want to treated anymore differently than I already am. Link already feels bad that I only live with my 'mother' who by the way he thinks is my real mom. It's not only that, he feels for the fact he's never sen her. I don't see why he feels that way when his mother—"

"That's enough. I understand."

His mother... Link thought about his mother and he came up with nothing... nothing but the feeling to raise his furled fingers to his throat and slowly, his nails brushed against the surface, before scratching again and again and again.

"Um, Darek, my Mistress Mother requires my presence... Are you free to leave?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I think I am."

It was only a moment, but a moment Link caught it all. Darek has turned his head away from Zelda and toward Poppy. But it was within that one motion, that his head turned upon his neck, that his long-brushed hair flowed on its own, that his white locks came within inches of Zelda's contented countenance. For any other person, Link believed she would've scoffed, but with Darek, Link couldn't have imagined the bloom-like blush that crossed Princess Zelda's cheeks.

**.**

**. .**

**. . .**

**[tbc]**

* * *

**a/n: **this was adopted from a kdrama after all but darek is no hyorin, that's for sure. yoooo if you looked at the gameplay page, great &amp; thank u, cause if you liked it or whatever_, there's a high chance i'll check u out and follow u_! or if u follow me, ill check u out and yanno the dealio. and right right idk how well i did with action scenes so if u liked them or if u didn't like them, please tell me your thoughts cause this chapter was incredibly time-consuming, like a lot more on the wedding, actually.

**next chapter previews:** links got 99 problems and a close friend's one of them

**thank u for being the bomb diggity:**

**Skydragon74163: **i hope you like radensky's appearance :-)

**KHLostEmpress**: pretty much :-)

**Hyrulean Queen Zelda**: tysm for your love for prince hourglass and your answer to my author's note; i'll do my best in writing these chapters when it looks like i'm not

**Grim77**: aight

**Machine per Dei:** link's thinking more like the potato of time

**~ saraven**


	16. JUDGE me

**16**

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**.**

"Link, my boy, there is nothing to be ashamed about."

But there was nothing but shame residing within Link, twisting his insides and giving him the worst ache in his life. The sort of shame-ache dwindled in the slightest when he met the smiling stare of the King of Hyrule. It wasn't every day when the king would try to console you the week after _that_ soul-crushing, humiliating defeat—not even once, but twice, _twice_—in Nationals.

Pushy now, shame shoved his head to bow down, and one would have to blind to the fact that Link totally had something to be ashamed about.

After a servant refilled their tea, the monarch continued to see the back of the prince's head. It was about time for some royal pearls of wisdom. His grandfather had mentioned that he would sit his grandson down for a talk from time to time. How long ago was that? Twisting the end of his beard around his finger, King Daltus spoke, "You know, Smith was the worst when it came to winning." By the upward tilt of Link's head, the king knew this he'd pique the prince's attention. "He acted as though every triumph resulted in the loss of one life, no matter if it was his or someone else's. I do not blame him. The casualties of his past battles are his ghosts, always…"

_Was this his way of cheering me up?_ thought Link and furrowed his brow. _It's not working_.

"I will make matters short, Link." He bobbed his head, giving his okay for the king to continue. "After we dueled, your grandfather and I would talk. I can sense his aggravation whenever he lost, but it was not always when he lost." After a moment's ruminating, he said, "As I stated before, there were times when Smith was frustrated when he won as well."

That didn't make a lick of sense to Link. "Why?"

King Daltus shrugged, and Link wondered where he got that peasant's motion from. "A bit of an oddball, if you asked me before I knew. It was becoming the usual whenever it was his victory, he'd grumbled under his breath, still swinging his sword. I questioned him, you know." Fervently, Link nodded along because this was news to him. "His answer was that he would prefer a loss."

"No way," blurted Link. It was even hard for him even to imagine thinking that around his teammates.

"Yes, he did."

"Why?"

A deep-bellied chuckled emitted from the king. "Losing meant there was a chink in his armor, literally." Again, he laughed and the prince joined in, although he thought this kind of humor was more fitted for his grandfather. "But with making mistakes and losses, your grandfather saw these as a catalyst for improvement and for refining his fine sword fighting skills. Smith was one of the finest fighters I knew, Link, and he did see himself in high-esteem. You must know losing did not mean that he was weak," the king enunciated carefully, watching every flicker in Link's awed expression. "Losing was a terms of stepping closer to perfection, though I had ever witnessed it, I bet Smith was the best within reach than any other."

Although Link understood now, he had to say, "But… all the practicing and improving I did for my team and they worked for me… it was all to win Nationals." Shame again grasped at his guts, and Link forced out, "It's not even like I can use my losses this year to improve my team for the next. Since, you know, I'm supposed to graduate…"

The king has another pearl for him as he advised, "Son, your grandfather had not concern just for himself." Again, the perplexity furrowed his forehead. The king continued, "He was fond of me enough to teach me as well. Of course, I've had my share of sword fighting instructors, but none the likes of your grandfather. I still remember his exclaim of how lucky I was to lose. It would be strange to call a feeling 'bright,' but that was the sensation when I heard Smith babbled on and on about improvement." The white strands of the king's beard were now causing the end of his finger to pale and the hair unfurled as he used his hands to cover his chuckle. "I suppose he wished for my growth as well."

"Of course he did." It was strange to Link how his grandfather had hardly mentioned the king, yet he was so sure of their comradery to be stronger than most relationships. "I know I just learned that you guys were bros and all just like some months ago, but I know when Grandpa considers you a friend to him, then uhh, Sir, my grandpa would've given everything to help you." His chest visibly puffed, the prince exhaled sharply from his nose, which happened to remind Daltus of his closest comrade. "Grandma says I do the same, so she thinks I got that from Grandpa."

"Leilana is correct," the king chuckled.

A hand in his hair, Link blew his bangs back. "How'd you know?"

"I was an earnest spectator of Nationals, my son. Let me say that if I was to place my trust into any of the captains I've watched, you were the most fitting and most deserving of my skills and my loyalty." With a shake of his head, the king picked up a still steaming teacup and sipped. "I do not believe I am the only one who considers that belief."

A slow moment, but one passed for Link.

"It doesn't have to be me," he realized. A satisfied smile crossed the king's still amused expression. "My team still has a chance, even without me."

"They will continue to."

As the king took another drink, Link knew that it would've felt great if they won Nationals by his leadership, but he really couldn't have everything, could he? Even as a prince of Hyrule, it wasn't as the storybooks say, that they always had their happy endings. For a moment, Link wished it was so that the only option available for him was to win. For another moment, he recalled that the storybooks were full of shit, but also those other writings were rude, rude, _mean_, rude—

"Link?"

"Sir," replied Link, abruptly standing onto his feet. "I think I have to suffer in the presence with my wife now."

"Ahh, yes. I do wish you did not call it like that."

Shrugging correctly, Link picked up his rumpled blazer and laid it across one arm. A servant leading him out of the king's quarters, he had one last question for him, "Sir?" An inquisitive gaze met his. "Why did you and my grandfather make that promise?"

Usually, these were good signs, but when the king smiled, Link took it as a shadow for something maybe not-good. "That's a story for another day, my boy."

**.**

Even then, Link thought the talk with King Daltus was pretty feel good. So what if he couldn't win the next Nationals? Most sword fighters enroll themselves in the National Hyrulean Army, or the very few become sword fighting athletes, but that was only when they were scouted. Which Link didn't, but he had a feeling it'd be weird for a scout to invite the prince of Hyrule.

Flopping across his king-size bed, Link rubbed both his eyes as Ezlo was at his double doors, declaring, "Princess Zelda will be tardy today."

His hand lowered to his mouth, he gave his muffled response, "I don't give a fffff."

Link really didn't. For the past hourglass hang-outs, he was moping around while Zelda neither said nor did anything to cheer him up. It was a kick in the gut that she even told him to quiet down his whining, but hey, pretty standard reactions from his ice-cold wife, wasn't it? It wasn't like she cared about him, anyway, not when she has her affections for his co-captain who really was the pretty-boy archetype, and it wasn't his fault that he grew up boyishly good-looking with a side of youthful adorable, but Link reasoned, you know, the _stupid media_ would _love_ to _know_—

"Your Highness?"

A lower of his hands to his midsection. "Yes?"

"Would Your Highness prefer if today's studies were moved to a different time?"

Was he was canceling? Link thought so, but he made sure. "No Prince Education today?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Okay."

"I will note that at once. Call for my help if Your Highness has a need for it."

With that, Sir Ezlo had closed the doors after the prince, but Link was reminded of an earlier conversation over and over. As his advisor, Ezlo was aware of (mostly) everything concerning him and he had advised the prince to preoccupy himself with studying. Ignore the others, they were just background buzz, like flies and mosquitoes, always present, the nasty annoying things.

But weren't they part of the people? Some would say they are the voice, and some of them, in Link's opinion, were just plain ol' _mean_.

The so-called Prince Hourglass rested his slumped back against the bed's headboard, and curled his legs against to his chest. His teeth together, he scraped them together as his furrowed forehead pressed on top of his knees. Physically resisting himself, Link tried to not focus on the nearest technology to him, he really tried to. Self-control was a skill Link had taught himself, taught his teammates, but it was thinning by the second. Honestly, it wasn't like there was anything good for waiting, for him, but he was weak and hope was heavy. Unbeknownst to him, it wasn't enough.

There was a lump in his throat and he swallowed it down.

Just like an addiction, he reached into his dresser, yanked out the drawer and his phone, before pulling up to the internet. For a moment, his finger stilled, almost hesitating, before typing in "Link Forria" into the search bar. The castle had great Wi-Fi so the millions of results appeared onto the small screen. His heart rising in his throat, Link gulped twice before quickly scanned the headlines, each bolded text a punch to the gut and hurtful enough that he tasted metal on his tongue.

_**Prince Link Forria leads his team to not 1**__**st**__**, or 2**__**nd**__**, or even 3**__**rd**__**, but 4**__**th**__** Place! **_

_**Castle Central Academy of the Arts &amp; Athletics lands 4**__**th**__** place at the Hyrulean Sword Fighting Nationas; With the economic escalation of worldwide GDP in soon to be in Prince Link Forria's hands, will Hyrule also land as 4**__**th**__**? **_

_**10 Candidates That Would Have Managed Better than Prince Link Forria (One the 10-year-old CEO of Malo Marts) **_

_**4**__**th**__** Place isn't all that Bad, Said no one ever. Prince Link Forria is in-line for the throne and is Hyrule to be thrown off its pedestal?**_

_**Watch comedic critics discuss their first impressions and first analyzations of Prince Link "Hourglass" Forria's sword fighting, and what will become of Hyrule! **_

His tongue out, Link leaned over to pluck a tissue and pressed it inside his mouth as with his other hand, it moved on its own, clicking on the video link. _There must be something, _thought Link as he skipped ahead to a random point.

"—and time was running out! That's the two most important points," a comedian stated all too seriously with his black hair slicked back and his index finger pointed accusingly. "Time and manpower. Why would you hesitate for a second _just_ to kick out your own men from the game? It's unbelievable, I tell you, you gotta trust your instincts which I see none of in Prince Hourglass. I mean, the guy can take a tomato to the head, but are we really inviting a dead man to the throne?"

"Words can never hurt me," muttered Link, but it sounded garbled with a tissue to his tongue. The spot of crimson continue to bleed.

After the crowd's timed laughter, someone came to his defense as a bob-haired woman retorted, "You forget that his men were injured drastically, to the point that one has dislocated his shoulder."

A light smile to the prince's expression, it immediately plummeted when the comedian hooted, along with several other at the table, "You never heard of no pain, no gain?" Before she could voice her reply, the comedian cut her off to say, "Relax! The kid's alright and already moving, isn't he? A dislocated shoulder here and a broken bone there, if all of their sacrifices served to their team's triumph, it wouldn't have hurt been in vain, wouldn't it?"

To Link's disappointment, the woman pursed her lips together in silence, but he could tell she was as frustrated as he was. Then another comedian spoke up, a balding brunette to the slicked-haired guy's left. "Besides," he started all too casually, "if you see this in the big picture, if you see beyond playing with dulled swords, you know this means Hyrule's army is in danger."

_No_, Link was thinking, clenching one fist, biting it down, _no, no no_.

"We've got the commander above the real captains whose sayin' all whiny babies should sit out and become a thorn in the army's side. What if this was war? You got a guy who, sure, his shoulder popped out, but he can still fight with his both hand, can't he? But we got our royal commander-in-chief who believes that's a game-over for that guy in particular."

"You forget," the woman tried again, her voice louder, clearer now, "that His Highness' subordinate did continue to fight with his dislocated shoulder, and consequently worsened the injury."

More so mockingly, he laughed, the lot of them all laughed. "So what? Chances are if this was a real battle, the pain and the will to live alone would've driven him to eliminate an enemy or two, before he's lights-out. When they are out in the battlefield, Hyrulean knights know their objective and they should know nothing should stand in their way, be it pain or actual people."

The video spanned out to include most people agreeing loudly with him as Link focused on her, reading her lips when she uttered, "How totalitarian."Of course, what could Link expect when her words lingered, unheard, as the comedians continued to talk amongst themselves.

"—don't believe there's a shred of leadership in his entire body—"

"—makes you wonder how Prince Hourglass was able to stir up enough loyal mates—"

"—it says, time is running out on the battlefield and even now, Prince Hourglass is royally—"

Drowning out the rest of that, the audience laughed.

_There has to be something, something, anything_, thought Link, and clicked to the worst below the video.

**I knew it I knew putting a sword fighter in line for the throne was a bad idea They're all just brawn no brain and the stupidest bullies**

**screamed at that! Just fight! Why hesitate?! Sword fighting's what I paid **

**didn't watch sword fighting super boring but if I knew how incompetent**

**LOL so Hyrule going 2 shit or**

**a way to kick him out? Hyrule's a monarchy but the people still have the power, right? **

Shaky now, Link closed out of the internet, gently laid it on his bedside table, and spread his legs outward upon the bedspread. The back of his head banged weakly against the headboard as the heat formed behind his frozen countenance. First his lips was tight together one moment, then quivering the next, and then his eyes grinded shut, repressing the liquid warmth. But just with sword fighting Nationals, he lost this as well.

Three taps against his bedroom doors meant the suited posse was at his door. Wiping at his eyes, Link called out, "Yeah?"

"Your Highness, we have news regarding Princess Zelda."

That was Raven's voice, Link could tell and using his sleeve now, and repeated, "Yeah?"

"Princess Zelda will be several hours late, therefore the hourglass time will be moved before dinnertime."

"Got it."

"Your Highness!" The doors banged open by Rudrum and behind were Raven and Rinku. "Sir Ezlo wanted us to—oh."

The suited posse looked away from their prince's red-rimmed stare. Their initial gawks politely to the ground, they didn't know what protocol called for this situation, but Rinku took the lead anyway. After motioning his colleagues to follow, he pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. Two other chairs were positioned in a line beside Link, which reminded him of visitors in a hospital room, as the suited posse took their seats. It was weird, even with Rudrum's typical toothy grin, so Link lowered his head away from them.

"I suppose Your Highness is not okay?" spoke up Raven.

Honestly, Link wanted them to leave him alone, but he'd let them take a stab.

"Your Highness?" prompted Rudrum. Again, no response. "Your Highness, it's no big dealio, even though it feels like it is, it's really not. I swear to ya."

Raven tried again. "Your Highness, even though there are others who do not, we will continue to place our trust in your hands."

He bit back, "But that's your job."

How wrong Raven thought His Highness was. "We have watched your competition as well. The past battles as well." Silent still, the prince rubbed his neck. "We all acknowledge how much you have honed your skills. There is a great difference and your placement in the competition does neither encompasses how well you have grown your team nor how well they can fight."

Moments passed before Link muttered, "Thanks."

_No good, was it?_ The suited posse's faces seemed to converse with one another. There had to a better way, and Rinku was listening. His thoughts drifted from carefully wording his turn's advice when he glanced to the side and then abruptly stood up, heading to Link's wall. Specifically, the one to his right where the sheathed swords lay dormant in their shelves. Getting it, Raven and Rudrum shot to a stand as well as two swords were tossed their way. Another was thrown into Raven's other hand, which he dropped into Link's lap.

"Huh?" As though it was his calculus homework, Link gawked down at the sword. "What'd I do with this?"

As Rudrum and Raven threw open the patio doors as Rinku responded, "You will fight."

**.**

Battle crying.

Sunlight glinting off worn blades.

Amazing abdomens? It was quite obvious that in order to be royal guards, one would have to keep with a demanding training regime, but their prince was on-par with them as well.

She was late, Princess Zelda knew, but she didn't want to interrupt whatever this was. Her bedroom and her husband's shared the garden area, along with a nicely-kept green area suited for sunbathing or, in this case, sword fighting. Her husband's double doors leading to the outside was still wide open, so the princess thought it would be nice to sit down, cross-legged even in her maxi dress, and become a quiet spectator to the sight. As part of said sight, the suited posse had shed their uniform jackets and vests, but rolled up their sleeves of their dress shirts and practically undone all their buttons (to the princess' delight), but the same could be said to her husband. Perspiration coated his face and his dress shirt as though the fight took place in a monsoon. It didn't, it could've looked like something out of a drama, but she appreciated the scene nonetheless.

After calling a maid for glasses of their most refreshing water, Zelda plopped her chin in the palms of her hands and watched closely. This was much more entertaining than that Nationals where front-row seats sucked anyway. Here, the suited posse parried against their prince, three against one. Obviously, the side with more fighters had to downplay their skills, however Link was chosen as the captain of his sword fighting team for a reason.

Mostly watching her husband, the princess remembered her husband had lost against three, and the memory of that fight was vivid in his eyes. That much was apparent as his focus was entirely upon the three of them; twisting an inch away from Rudrum's blade, ducking under Raven's vertical slash, and striking back Rinku with the steel screeches of their swords. However every time Link's sword met, it did not last long with another opponent closing in to attack. Link was aware of this and Zelda thought he was only managing to keep each of them delayed enough so that they could attack all at once, which Zelda skim-read that was usually a last resort for sword fighters.

Totally done, the suited posse were hell-bent on grazing Link once, their swords held above their heads simultaneously. And the prince, his boot dug into the grassy ground, before his sword swung all-around.

Fingers to her lips, Zelda swallowed her chuckle as Raven barely bopped his sword into Link's side.

Just in time, the prince groaned and flopped onto the grass when the maid finally appeared by the princess's side along with her request. Her hand in the air, she waved at the fighters and called, "Is anyone thirsty?"

Pressed by the princess, the maid blushingly forwarded the sorta-dressed guards, all who thanked her and the princess. Link didn't get one from her since Zelda swiped a glass from the tray and passed it to him wordlessly when he took his seat next to her.

After the water was downed in three seconds, Zelda counted, her husband swiped a sweaty hand across his sweaty face and returning the glass to the maid. It appeared she and the guards were heading to the same destination, leaving the royal couple alone. The princess didn't mind, only gazing into the setting sun and she was glad she selected the Lanayru Palace, because of its extraordinary heights, which allowed a picturesque angle of Lake Hylia. That bright annoying star was disappearing into the horizon and also to an edge of the lake, which painted the liquid reflection of dimming orange and yellow, like a bulb going out, surrounded by the deep midnight blue that was to come.

Zelda spoke, "I'm hungry."

"Same."

The cool air was thick with unspoken confessions. For the past week, Zelda didn't want to question that he remembered the ocarina played against him. Was he smart enough to connect that her musical playing had somehow shut down his memories? On the other hand, Link wanted to know why she did that, why he was forced to forget, why she was so kind and so confusing that night, and why it had to be his co-captain.

Still, there was nothing else to say beyond that.

"Oh, yeah." Her mouth an open 'o,' Zelda slipped a hand into her dress with her husband's wide eyes on her. "Pockets," she pointed out, smirking as she pulled out her phone. While she focused on typing, Link noticed her case depicted some kind of fanart of Neri. _Screw the pretty boys_. "Here."

The phone in his fingers, it was already releasing sound and Link peered at the small screen. For a moment, Zelda reached over to skip the video to a certain point, stopping at Elli Elecrim's chiseled countenance. Puzzled, Link scrutinized the easy smile crossing his former senior's strained lips as he bowed his redhead, before looking back at the interviewer, saying, "You were remarkable as the MC for PumpkIN Music Awards."

"Thank you," he said, more so whispered.

A glance to his wife, Link remarked, "He looks exhausted."

"Typical of Legends Entertainment." Zelda gave a frown to her husband. "He's overworked."

Of course, the sympathy lined his forehead and even pushed his fist to press against tight lips. This wasn't how Zelda wanted things to go so she forwarded the video a little more.

The interviewer was in the middle of asking, "—former captain of Castle Central Academy's sword fighting team, so what are your views on the future of Hyrule as your subordinate is now the current prince of Hyrule?"

Biting down on his tongue, Link was aware that Elli had a tremendous tolerance for nights without sleep, but he was hardly awake enough to reply, "I watched this year's Nationals." Why was shame gripping Link's shoulders, watching along with him? Heart racing, his whole world was being tilted to the way his senior had paused and replied, "I saw it to the end, and I think Castle Central Academy did great this year."

Empty, his shoulders felt lighter now as the interviewer wasn't wholly satisfied with his answer. "And what of Hyrule's future?"

A corner of his smile lifting in distaste, Elli shrugged. Even though Zelda wouldn't admit it, she was glad that Link laughed. "Great," the redhead responded, "But I don't think sword fighting really has anything to do with Hyrule's future."

Averting her eyes, the interviewer listened to her earpiece before retorting, "Mr. Elli, there is great criticism that Prince Link Forria had failed to drive his team to 1st place when it was so easily within their reach. You must have known that as the former captain that during his battle with East Hyrulean Fields High? What is your response to that?"

More so from wanting to sleep, Elli blinked once, twice, closed them, and barely pried them open. Another snicker from Link, and Zelda smiled along. Tired, the idol shook his head, looking left to his manager, and asked, "Do you want me to denounce my sword fighting junior?"

Completely serious, she suggested, "Is that how you feel?"

That was the waking point. First, Elli rubbed his face furiously, surprisingly keeping his makeup in one piece, before raking his hand through his hair and laughing sardonically. For some reason, Link was giggling along and Zelda thought this must be some inside joke, until Elli came to a stand. The interviewer did not and, with his hands in his pockets, the interviewee leaned down to her height.

"Listen, don't be putting words in my mouth," he drawled, then glanced into the cameras before them, "I'll tell what you I really think." The tension in the atmosphere appeared to have lifted as the interviewer brightened. "Maybe I had high expectations for my junior and his team, and maybe they didn't reach them. But you know what?"

He was waiting for her answer, and Link stifled his snickering, knowing what was to come. "What?"

"Why?! Why does it matter what I think? Or what you think, or what they—" His hand, Elli swiped a hand toward the people manning the cameras, "—think, or anyone else for that matter. The only opinions Prince Link Forria should take in account is his team and his own. If they're thinking what we're thinking, then great for them. If they're thinking they did great but that they can do better, then that's all the power to them."

"Amen," muttered Zelda. Surprisingly, Link clutched the bare skin of her arm and chortled.

Elli was still ranting, "And you know something I learned in this industry?" The interviewer was no longer staring at Elli, but helplessly eyeing the cameras. This spurred Link's laughicide to continue. "Who cares? Critics exist and they're everywhere, but what they think to define you really doesn't in the slightest." Finally sitting back down, the redhead shook his hair again. _Wild, uncontrollable, like wildfire,_ Zelda thought and wondered if Link thought the same with his bubbling guffaws. "As the leader of WINWAR, I should only care about each of my members—yeah, and our fans and our agency too—but, anyway, how we as WINWAR work reminds me of my sword fighting days."

The camera was spazzing now when Link surmised there was an order to shut it off. "We're glad if we win anything at any music awards because it's all the publicity to us, but we work hard whether we win or lose. Sometimes, I think critics and everyone else forget that. The same goes for sword fighting." The camera zoomed dramatically close into Elli's jaw and Link was wiping back his tears of laughter. "I know my past sword fighting team lost and my junior was their leader. But I also know Prince Link Forria and my junior is a talented leader, even though he did get 4th place, I can truthfully say I am nothing, but proud of His Highness outcome and wish His Highness the best, along with the Castle Central—"

"_Shut that off right—_"

Abruptly, the video blanked to black.

"So?" started Zelda. Link was still using his hands as wipes and she realized his tears were not because of mirth anymore. The sunset had passed, the night providing little light for Zelda to really see. Still, she was certain Link was still crying and pulled another item from her dress pockets. "Here."

The handkerchief from when she intetionally sprayed her water bottle on him. And he returned it to her on their wedding night. How far ago it all seemed now.

In his hands, he covered his face with the square cloth and didn't make much sound. Zelda didn't take him as a silent crier until he mumbled, "Elliiii." Above the doors where they sat, the sconces suddenly came to life, revealing light upon damp patches where his eyes obviously were. The princess sighed. "Elllll_lliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii._" Her gaze to the side, Zelda thought it would be good to allow him some privacy and that quickly gone out of the window as the handkerchief flew off from his face. It was damp in her pinched fingers, but her disdain disappeared when she glanced at her husband. Tear spilled past closed lids and the palm of one hand as with the other, his knuckles attempted to stem his leaky nose. Her husband was a mess, especially when he cried, "Good g_uy_ Eellllll_liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_."

Honest to goddesses, Link was bawling now, complete with sobs and snot.

Princess Zelda may knew etiquette, but she wasn't trained for this. No, a long ago she was, thought the princess with her softened facial features, by the same person crying on her. Gingerly, she copied what he had done and wound one arm around his broad shoulders, dammit, resting her hand against his warm throat. This was foreign for her, but for him? Sniffling, Link had stiffened, his tears already stopping in their tracks, but then he just went with it.

"It's alright." As his head fit beside the pulse in her neck, as her hand reached behind to rub comforting circles upon his back, he heard her say, "Everything is going to be alright."

_Stop, world, _thought Link.

_It wasn't her arm around his shoulders, but his around hers. _

_She was small and she was a bundle of tears and frustration, but he wanted to help clear that, his heart bled for her. He doesn't know what that expression means, but he has heard—heard from somewhere, someone—heard that before and the words beat along to the ache in his chest. He could stop it if he brought her closer and he let her know that he wanted to split her pain so that she didn't have to suffer alone._

_The tears were small in size, but infinite as they come, and his arms wound all the way as he whispered to her, "_Everythin's gonna be alright_."_

**.**

**10:43 PM. **_**Link**_**:** _Sends a video file [download]._

**10:44 PM. **_**Link**_**:** You girls seen this?

**10:51 PM. **_**Navi**_**:** Elli is such a savage OMG.

**10:52 PM. **_**Proxi**_**:** ^^^^

**10:52 PM. **_**Tatl**_**:** u dont mess wit tht boy and his sleep yoooo

**10:53 PM. **_**Ciela**_**:** I saw the clock too, Tatl, I know Elli doesn't do late-night interviews.

**10:54 PM. **_**Ciela**_**:** But no, Link, we haven't seen this? We heard about this though.

**10:56 PM. **_**Navi**_**:** If we did, you'd be the first to know, Link.

**11:00 PM. **_**Link**_**:** What did you hear, C?

**11:00 PM. **_**Ciela**_**:** Apparently, a reporter pissed him off during an interview and rumors said it involved the sword fighting competition.

**11:01 PM. **_**Tatl**_**:** who knew it was about u, capt tardiness ?

**11:05 PM. **_**Link**_**:** Whatever, T. So this video never released publicly?

**11:05 PM. **_**Tatl**_**:** duh it would break elli's rep he aint takin a bullet for u

**11:06 PM. **_**Proxi**_**:** You must have good connections if you got your hands on that video, Link.

**11:06 PM. **_**Navi**_**:** Where did you get it from?

**11:07 PM. **_**Tatl**_**:** ? ? ? ?

**11:07 PM. **_**Ciela**_**:** Link?

**11:12 PM. **_**Link**_**:** Good connections… Right.

**.**

Honestly, Link hadn't been to his house in ages, but you couldn't place all the blame on him. Part of it could belong to homeboy himself, who took several minutes before he opened his door just a crack. A ruby-red eye peered into the outside and widened upon sight of Link.

"Captain?" Darek recognized as fumbling noises sounded from his side of the door. On the other side, Link just smiled and waved. "Uh, Link, what are you doing here?"

At first, Link toyed with the idea of telling him straight-out that he knew, but he didn't. "Just… decided to drop in, yep." His shrug didn't seem to convince Darek, who had now closed the door behind himself and was leaning upon it. Needing some work, Link added on, "I thought it'd be great if you and I, bro to bro, have a little talk. We don't get to talk much, don't we?"

They didn't, but that wasn't reason enough to let Link in. Poring over potential reasons, Darek decided to go for, "Link, you're not here because we lost?" At first, it sounded like a good idea to agree with him, however Link didn't know how to change the topic that_ he knew_. Plus he was already sick of talking to people in order to console himself. Darek could do a pretty good job picking up on other's current state, even now noticing how Link's stance shifted abruptly. "Link," he started again, "what do you want?"

Just the slowest of exhales, before Link answered, "Can we hang out? Maybe talk a little? Please?"

A pause. It would be nice if Darek played the _I-got-nothing-to-hide_ charade because that meant Link could enter, but perhaps his secrets outweighed Link figuring them out. For which, Link already kinda did. Silence continued to speak for the both of them as Link shuffled his weight, foot-to-foot, and coughed.

"Fine." Darek finally gave in, closing his door. Several clicks and clacks sounded from his side, before he swung his door wide enough to allow his guest to slip in. It was weird, but Link squeezed through. His curious eyes roamed around his semi-familiar surroundings. "Not much changed, if you're wondering."

He was right. It was the same classic apartment scene with sofas and coffee tables and bookcases, all the norm. Blinking, Link warily walked throughout the sitting room and spotted a familiar photograph of the sword fighting team, back when Darek first joined. His memory didn't serve him well, but Link recalled that the newbie had transferred over to Castle Central Academy in the middle of their second year, and that Darek said he came from "somewhere not that interesting."

_Gerudo Desert wasn't that interesting, huh?_ Link thought.

"Yo." He looked up to accept a glass of something fizzy. "If you want something else, get it yourself."

Now this was normal, Link could play along with this. "How can you say that to your captain?" he snickered and took a seat upon a dusty red armchair. "A subordinate should always listen to their captain."

"Not in my house, I don't." Speaking of, Darek was rummaging around the cabinets underneath his television, and appeared to have found what he was looking for, tossing it to Link. In his hands was a video game controller, which brought a sparkle to Link's eyes. Waving one of his own, Darek sat across from Link upon the coffee table, and asked, "You game?"

A confident grin played across Link's expression.

As his guest got comfortable in the armchair, Darek raised one leg onto the table, just to rest his chin, as around his leg, his fingers met and clicked at the controller. The television sparked to life, before shifting to the game's home screen.

Sipping at his drink at first, Link lowered his cup to sputter, "Ya-yyuh-you got Hero Warriors already?"

A sharp glint in his red eyes, Darek was the one grinning. "Been saving months for it."

"Well, shoot," chuckled Link, leaning forward. "I thought it was only available for the PC?"

"I pre-ordered it on the console shop so I can play multiplayer, and you know, the DLC."

"What's new?"

"Nothing yet. The console just released," Darek told him. "I heard there's gonna be more content than the PC."

Reviewing the rumors he'd heard himself, Link paused and asked, "Did they added more players for story mode?"

"Yeah, but that's only up to 3-player." Shrugging, Darek turned his chin to Link. "What do you want?"

With no hesitation, he pointed. "Story mode!"

"You wanna go—"

"Hard! After I get good, let's go for lunatic."

Honestly, Link hadn't looked this animated ever since he lost Nationals. It was a good move Darek didn't talk about that as he snickered and said, "Lunatic is a bunch of goatshit." Another click of a button, sending them to a character screen. He suggested to Link, "You can pick whoever you want for now since I unlocked everyone."

"Light!" Accordingly, Link selected the main hero, pursed his lips, before clicking another button. "Whoa." Eyes on the screen, he commented, "He's already at Swordmaster?"

Darek shrugged. "I invested a lot of time in him." Leaning back, he selected his own character. "But I wasted one too many all-nighters with Nightmare."

"Hero class? But isn't he the bad guy version of Light?" thought Link aloud.

A quirk of a frown. "What's wrong with that?"

"I didn't know bad guys can have a Hero class."

"Oh. Yeah, they can. We're gonna start as knights since we're restarting story mode. You ready?"

"Go for it, dude." The screen blanked upon a loading screen before animating into a cutscene. Link would've kept quiet and watched, but he never actually watched these. His leg jiggling his controller, he tapped at the handles restlessly for a moment, only to turn to Darek. "Do we have to watch these?"

Eyes locked on the screen, Darek replied, "You're gonna be lost."

"Can't you fill me in?" Glancing back at him, Darek shrugged. "C'mon, man, I don't think I've laid eyes on a video game ever since I got married."

A scoff-like snort sounded from Darek, before he asked, "How's that going?" Their fingers were flying now as their on-screen characters were finally released into a battlefield. With a quick glance, Link spied his friend slouching now, and staring blankly at the television as his mouth moved, "Poppy said the media's been hard on you, but Zelda's been on your side."

That night popped in Link's mind, and he lowered his eyes. "Is she?"

"Dude, focus," called Darek when Light stood still upon the battlefield, completely vulnerable. Link knew how that felt. "Should I not have mentioned that?"

"Nah, it's alright. Marriage life is alright. But I don't think you're suited for it right now." That earned a booming chortle from Darek as Link returned to the screen and controlled Light to a running start. The boys were totally engrossed. Link even more so when he wiped out an entire wave of their enemy forces, earning a whistled whoop from Darek. His grin cocky, Link suggested, "Think we can skip to lunatic?"

Snorting, Darek took his cockiness for stupidity. "You're the real lunatic." Then Nightmare coincidentally died upon the screen and his player stood from the table, his controller whacking his fingers. Turning to Link, he said, "My mom stocked up some boar jerky last week. You want some?" The blonde's brightened expression was immediate. "Dear Din, alright, you don't have to blind me."

Despite what he'd said before, Darek returned to the living room with the snack Link wanted and his refilled glass of soda. As Link continued to play, his host slid a coaster under the cold glass, set the plate close to Link, and laid Link's jacket—which he had peeled off in the middle of playing—on the back of his chair, all before he pressed his character into re-spawn. A moment passed before Link looked away from the television and at Darek with Poppy's words running through his head—_he does the domestic._

"Hey."

Kicking ass now, Darek clicked away and groaned. "What?"

"Uhh…" _Nothing_ was the next word on Link's tongue, but he spotted something on the table. "Uh, that the newest issue?"

The comic magazine received no attention from Darek who muttered, "Yeah. Wanna read it?"

"Yeah."

"Then get your ass over here and help me."

True to his word, after Link played his way to collaborative victory, Darek handed the magazine to his collaborator, even though he thought Link would've forgotten about it. He didn't, but as Darek scrolled to the 1-player modes, he thought his dear ol' friend had completely forgotten why he came here in the first place. A glance back only proved that thought when Link was curled comfortably in the armchair, gnawing on boar jerky and flipping every once in a while. About twenty minutes passed with the sounds of video game music and Link's occasional giggle, which Darek would respond with a shrug of his shoulders.

_Wait a minute_, Link thought and narrowed his eyes at Darek, _did he just shrug? Did he shrug because of me? No, he shrugged because I wanted to talk to him and I'm not doing that at all, right? Right? Ah, crap, shoot me. _

Apparently, the best plan to get his friend's attention was to drop everything and stare. The ending of this month's Dying Gets Boring After a While was tempting to Link, but those oh so helpless heroes who just kept on dying could wait. And that included Darek as well who had paused the game and braided his hair into a bun, before realizing Link watched his entire braiding tutorial.

"Oh, dude." His face said _what-the-frick_. Link couldn't blame him. Pausing his game, Darek exclaimed, "What do you want now?"

Of course he didn't plan this far. "We need to talk."

Another face, but more on the side of _how-was-I-supposed-to-know-we're-going-out?_ "Well?" His guest sipped now, his stare averting from total embarrassment, as Darek was a second from returning to his game. "What about?"

"Well…"

"Link, if you're not going to tell me, then we're not going—"

He blurted, "I know."

"You know?" Almost taunting, Darek's white head cocked. "There's a lot you don't know."

"Well, I know that you're the one who bodyguards Poppy," Link admitted, expecting that his dear bro would at least blink in shock, but he did nothing like that. It was almost like he expected this. "I remember Poppy told me that her guard is her everything, so I know that you have to know Zelda is taking Poppy away from me, and you know why."

Red eyes rolled to the side. "Zelda wouldn't like this."

"Zelda—" Her name was bitter on his tongue, but he did not finish vocalizing his thought of her. He didn't even know if Darek knew of her feelings for him. The whole idea caused Link to feel more at a loss than he already was. What Link needed was the big guns, and that was to sit onto the table beside him, so Darek could hear his pleas clearer. "Zelda is hiding from me and she's hiding Poppy from me, so you're the only one who can help me."

"What makes you think I'll do that?"

Why he was being a hardass about this, Link wished he knew. "C'mon, man."

Like that would work. His arms crossed his chest, Darek had no empathy in his scarlet stare. This was nothing more than a dead-end, but Link gave it one more push and tried, "Please?"

Another roll of the eyes. "Fine."

Caught completely off guard, the prince gaped in amazement as the slave came to stand, looking down on him. The thought of Darek's true occupation didn't pass Link's mind until he was staring into his emotionless expression. Distantly, Link remembered in Zelda's voice that red eyes were common in Sheikah ancestry.

"I'll tell you what I know, but there's a catch," he said to the prince, and this must be the beginning of making deals with demons, Link thought, but didn't know why. "It's nothing terrible, Link, you're my friend. I just want you to do one thing for me."

Careful, his breath made past his throat. "What?"

Knowing his captain best, Darek raised one hand and gripped the angst contorting his face. "Now that you know about me, which many people don't, you realize I suffered a lot. Well, suffering is subjective from person to person, but don't you think being orphaned, being sold to savage trader to trader, being tortured to obey, and being flaunted as merchandise… It's all something you'd think would fall under as suffering?" As expected, the look on Link's face was answer enough. His heart continued to bleed upon his countenance, and Darek cupped his mouth, his tone slightly saddening. "It's not what you'd call a childhood, Link."

"I… I'm—" Link didn't have a damn clue how to reply. Head lowered, he just went with, "I'm so sorry."

"Why're you apologizing?" Pale palms raised in Link's defense, yet the prince raised his in fists to wipe at the corner of his wet eyes. "What could you do?" There was no reason for him to apologize. Back then, he reasoned he would have been a child just as Darek had, therefore what could a child do to stop slave-trading?

_Nothing_, he realized and gulped down hot breaths. _Even now, I don't think I can do anything._

Believing that, he choked out, "What do you want?"

The prince was putty in his hands. "It's not anything at all really." Gentle, he tipped Link's chin up so that he could see Darek was still amiable, even with his bared-teeth grin. "You know as a slave, we believe our significance of existence is to obey. That and to carry out the best for my master." Wherever this was going, Link had to believe for himself that whatever deal he would make with Darek could not tip the scales in Zelda's favor. "So all I want for you is to stay the hell away from Poppy."

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**[tbc]**

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**a/n: **my main point of prince hourglass is write more scenes where link is dripping sparkling, shoujo-like tears/snot and zelda is the "cool and handsome" consoler who has learned a thing or two about consoling from the past.

**next chapter previews: **wish i knew

**thanks to these bombass bombs:** _x Princess Zelda x_,_Skydragon74193, Grim77, Majin-kun, ThePredicate, TurtleCopter_.


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